,f*r'^  -v 


i: 


ANGELIC    WISDOM 


CONCERNING 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE. 


BY   EMANUEL   SWEDENBORG. 

ORIGINALLY  PUBLISHED  IN  LATIN  AT  AMSTERDAM  IN  1764. 


SECOND    AMERICAN   EDITION. 


A    NEW    TRANSLATION. 


BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED  FOR  THE  NEW  CHURCH  PRINTING  SOCIETY, 

BY    OTIS    CLAPP, 

121   WASHINGTON    STREET. 

1840. 


'X 


STEREOTYPED    BY 

GEO.   A.  &  J.   CURTIS, 
NEW-ENGLAND  TYPE  AND  STEREOTYPE  FOUNDRY, 
66  Congress  St.,  Boston. 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 
That  the  Divine  Providence  is  the  government  of  the  Divine  Love 
and  Divine  Wisdom  of  the  Lord, 13 

I.  That  the  universe,  with  each  and  every  thing  of  it,  was  created 

from  the  Divine  Love  by  the  Divine  Wisdom 15 

n.  That  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  proceed  as  one  from 

the  Lord, 16 

1.  That  a  one  without  a  form  is  not  given,  but  that  form  itself  makes  a 

one, 17 

2.  That  a  form  makes  so  much  the  more  perfect  a  one,  as  those  things 

which  enter  into  the  form  are  distinctly  other,  and  yet  united,  ...        18 
in.  That  this  one  is  in  a  certain  image  in  every  created  thing,  ...      19 

IV.  That  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  every  created  thing,  in 

general  and  in  particular,  is  such  a  one  ;  and  if  it  is  not,  that 

it  should  become  so, 21 

V.  That  the  good  of  love  is  not  good  any  farther  tlian  as  it  is 
united  to  the  truth  of  wisdom,  and  that  the  truth  of  wisdom  is 
not  true  any  farther  than  as  it  is  united  to  the  good  of  love,    .      23 

VI.  That  the  good  of  love  not  united  to  the  truth  of  wisdom  is  not 
good  in  itself  but  that  it  is  apparent  good ;  and  that  the  truth 
of  wisdom  not  united  to  the  good  of  love  is  not  truth  in  itself, 
but  that  it  is  apparent  truth, 25 

VII.  That  the  Lord  does  not  suffer  that  anything  should  be  divided, 
wherefore  it  must  either  he  in  good  and  at  the  same  time  in 
truth,  or  it  must  be  in  evil  and  at  the  same  time  in  falsity,  .  .  27 
VIII.  That  that  which  is  in  good,  and  at  the  same  time  in  truth,  is 
something;  and  that  that  which  is  in  evil,  and  at  the  same 
time  in  falsity,  is  not  anything. 29 

IX.  That  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  causes  that  evil  and  at 
the  same  time  falsity  may  serve  for  equilibrium,  for  relation, 
and  for  purification,  and  thus  for  the  conjunction  of  good  and 
truth  in  others,     31 

That  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  has  for  end  a  heaven 
from  the  human  race, 33 

I.  That  heaven  is  conjunction  with  the  Lord, 35 

II.  That  man  from  creation  is  such,  that  he  can  be  more  and  more 

nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord, 38 

1.  How  man  is  more  and  more  nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord, 39 

2.  How  this  conjunction  appears  nearer  and  nearer, 41 

III.  That  the  more  nearly  man  is  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  the  wiser 

he  becomes, 41 

IV.  That  the  nearer  man  is  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  the  happier  he 

becomes, 44 

V.  That  the  more  nearly  man  is  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  the  more 

distinctly  he  appears  to  himself  as  if  he  was  his  own,  and  the 
more  evidently  he  takes  notice  that  he  is  the  Lord's,    ....      46 

That  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  in  all  that  it  does,  regards 

the  infinite  and  the  eternal, 48 

I.  That  the  infinite  in  itself  and  the  eternal  in  itself  is  the  same  as 

the  Divine, 50 


4  CONTENTS. 

Page. 
II.  That  the  infinite  and  eternal  in  itself  cannot  do  otherwise  than 

look  at  the  infinite  and  eternal  from  itself  in  finites, 53 

III.  That  the  Divine  Providence,  in  all  that  it  does,  looks  at  the  in- 

finite and  eternal  from  itself,  especially  in  saving  the  human 
race, 55 

1.  An  image  of  the  hifiniteand  eternal  in  the  variety  of  all  things,      ...        56 

2.  An  image  of  the  intiiiite  and  eternal  in  the  fructification  of  all  things,         56 

IV.  That  an  image  of  the  infinite  and  eternal  is  extant  in  the  angelic 

heaven, •      59 

V.  That  to  look  at  the  infinite  and  eternal  in  forming  the  angelic 
heaven,  that  it  may  he  before  the  Lord  as  one  man,  which  is 
his  image,  is  the  inmost  of  the  Divine  Providence, 61 

That  there  are  laws  of  the  Divine  Providence,  which  are  un- 
known to  men,     63 

That  il  is  a  law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  man  should  act 
from  freedom  according  to  reason, 64 

I.  That  man  has  reason   and  freedom,  or  rationality  and  liberty; 

and  that  these  two  faculties  are  from  the  Lord  with  man,    .    .      66 

II.  That  whatever  man  does  from  freedom,  whether  it  be  of  reason 
or  not  of  reason,  provided  il  is  according  to  his  reason,  appears 
to  him  as  his, 68 

III.  That  whatever  man  does  from   freedom  according  to  reason  is 

appropriated  to  him  as  his,  and  remains, 72 

IV.  That  by  these  two  faculties  man  is  reformed  and  regenerated  by 

the  Lord,  and  that  without  them  he  could  not  be  reformed  and 
regenerated, 75 

1.  Man's  first  state,  which  is  a  state  of  damnation, 76 

2.  Man's  second  state,  which  is  a  state  of  reformation, 77 

3.  Man's  third  state,  which  is  a  slate  of  regeneration, 78 

V.  That  man  by  means  of  these  two  faculties  can  be  so  far  re- 
formed and  regenerated,  as  he  can  be  led  by  them  to  acknow- 
ledge that  all  the  truth  and  good  which  he  thinks  and  does,  is 
from  the  Lord,  and  not  from  himself, 79 

VI.  That  the  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  man,  and  the  reciprocal 

conjunction   of  man  with  the  Lord,  takes  place  by  these  two 
faculties 83 

VII.  That  the   Lord  guards  these  two  faculties  with  man  inviolate 

and  as  sacred,  in  all  the  course  of  His  Divine  Providence,   .    .      86 

1.  That  without  these  two  faculties  man  would  not  have  will  and  under- 

standing        86 

2.  That  man  without  these  two  faculties  could  not  be  conjoined  to  the 

Lord,  and  thus  not  be  reformed  and  regenerated, 87 

3.  That  man,  without  these  two  faculties,  would  not  have  immortality  and 

eternal  life,  ..._.. _. 88 

VIII.  That  therefore  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  man  should 

act  from  freedom  according  to  reason, 88 

That  it  is  a  law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  man  should  as  of 
himself  remove  evils  as  sins  in  the  external  man,  and  that  thus 
and  not  otherwise  the  Lord  can  remove  evils  in  the  internal 

man,  and  then  at  the  same  time  in  the  external, 91 

I.  That  every  man  has  an  external  and  an  internal  of  thought,  .    .       94 
II.  That  the  external  of  man's  thought  is  in  itself  such  as  its  inter- 
nal is,  96 

III.  That  the  internal  cannot  be  purified  from  the  concupiscences  of 
evil,  as  long  as  evils  in  the  external  man  are  not  removed,  be- 
cause they  obstruct, 99 


CONTENTS.  5 

IV.  That  evils  in  the  external  man  cannot  be  removed  by  the  Lord, 

except  by  means  of  man, 102 

V.  That  therefore  man  ought  to  remove  evils  in  the  external  man 

as  of  himself,  n.  118, lOC 

VI.  That  the  Lord  then  purifies  man  from  the  concupiscences  of  evil 
in  the  internal  man,  and  from  evils  themselves  in  the  external 
man, 106 

VII.  That  it  is  the  continual  of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord, 
that  He  may  conjoin  man  to  Himself  and  Himself  to  him, 
that  He  may  be  able  to  give  him  the  happy  things  of  eternal 
life ;  which  cannot  be  done,  except  as  far  as  evils  with  their 
concupiscences  are  removed, 109 

1.  That  the  Lord  never  acts  into  any  particular  thing  with  man  singly, 

unless  into  all  things  of  him  at  the  same  time, 110 

2.  That  the  Lord  acts  from  inmost  things  and  from  ultimates  at  the  same 

time, Ill 

That  it  is  a  law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  man  should  not  be 
compelled  by  external  means  to  thinking  and  willing,  thus  to 
believing  and  loving,  the  things  which  are  of  religion  ;  but  that 
man  should  lead,  and  sometimes  compel,  himself, 115 

I.  That  no  one  is  reformed   by  miracles  and  signs,  because  they 

compel, 117 

II.  That  no  one  is  reformed  by  visions  and  by  discourses  with  the 

deceased,  because  they  compel, 120 

III.  That  no  one  is  reformed  by  threats  and  punishments,  because 

they  compel,      123 

1.  That  the  external  cannot  compel  the  internal,  but  that  the  internal  can 

compel  the  external, 123 

2.  That  the  internal  is  so  averse  to  compulsion  from  the  external,  that 

it  turns  itself  away, 124 

3.  That  external  delights  allure  the  internal  to  consent,  and  also  to  love,  125 

4.  That  there  is  given  internal  compulsion  and  internal  freedom, 126 

IV.  That  no  one  is  reformed  in  states  of  non-rationality  and  non- 

liberty,    127 

1.  Li  a  slate  of  fear 128 

2.  In  a  state  of  misfortune, 129 

3.  In  a  state  of  disorder  of  mind, 130 

4.  In  a  state  of  disease  of  the  body, 130 

5.  In  a  state  of  isnorance, 131 

6.  In  a  state  of  blindness  of  the  understanding, 131 

V.  That  it  is  not  contrary  to  rationality  and  liberty  to  compel  one's 

self, 132 

That  the  external  man  is  to  be  reformed  by  the  internal,  and  not  the 

reverse,     136 

That  it  is  a  law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  man  is  led  and 
taught  by  the  Lord  from  heaven,  through  the  Word,  doctrine 
and  preachings  from  it,  and  this  in  all  appearance  as  of  him- 
self,   139 

I.  That  man  is  led  and  taught  by  the  Lord  alone, 141 

1.  That  there  is  an  only  essence,  an  only  substance,  and  an  only  form,  from 

which  are  all  essences,  substances  and  forms,  which  were  cre.ated,        142 

2.  That  that  only  essence,  substance  and  form  is  the  Divine  Love  and 

Divine  Wisdom,  from  which  are  all  things  which  have  relation  to 
love  and  wisdtm  with  man,     142 

3.  In  like  manner,  that  there  is  good  itself  and  truth  itself,  to  which  all 

things  have  relation,      143 

4.  That  they  are  life,  from  which  the  life  of  all,  and  all  thinis  of  life,  are,      143 

5.  That  this  Only  and  Very  is  omnipresent,  omniscient,  and  omnipotent,       144 

6.  That  this  Only  and  Very  is  the  Lord  from  eternity,  or  Jehovah,  ....     144 

1* 


6  CONTENTS. 

Page. 

II.  That  man  is  led  and  taught  by  the  Lord  alone,  through  the  an- 

gelic heaven  and  from  it,    ...  • 146 

III.  That  man  is  led  of  the  Lord  liy  influx,  and  taught  by  illustration,     149 

IV.  That  man   is    taught  of  the   Lord  hy  the  Word,  doctrine  and 

■preachings  from  it,  and  thus  immediately  from  Himself  alone,    154 
1    That  the  Lord  is  the  Word,  because  it  is  from  Him  aud  couceruing 

Him, 155 

2.  Tliat  the  Lord  is  tlie  Word,  because  it  is  the  divine  truth  of  the  divine 

good, 156 

3.  Thai  thus  to  be  taughi  from  the  Word  is  to  be  tauglit  by  the  Lord 

Himself,     156 

4.  That  this  is  done  mediately  through  preachings,  does  not  take  away 

the  immediate, 157 

V.  That  man  is  led  aud  taught  of  the  Lord  in  externals  in  all  ap- 

pearance as  of  himself, 153 

That  it  is  a  law  of  the  Divine  Providence  that  man  should  not 
perceive  and  feel  anything  concerning  the  operation  of  the 
Divine  Providence,  but  that  he  should  still  know  and  acknow- 
ledge it, 159 

I.  That  if  man  perceived  and  felt   the  operation   of  the  Divine 

Providence,  he  would  not  act  from  freedom  according  to  rea- 
son, nor  would  anything  appear  to  him  as  his.  In  like  man- 
ner if  man  foreknew  events, 160 

II.  That  if  man  manifestly  saw  the  Divine  Providence,  he  would 

interfere  with  the  order  and  tenor  of  its  course,  and  pervert 
and  destroy  it, 163 

1.  That  externals  have  such  a  connection  with   internals,  that   in   all 

operation  they  make  one, 164 

2.  That  if  man  were  at  the  same  time  in  internals,  he  would  pervert  and 

destroy  all  the  order  and  tenor  of  the  Divine  Providence 166 

III.  That  if  man  manifestly  saw  the  Divine  Providence,  he  would 

either  deny  God,  or  make  himself  God, 167 

IV.  That  it  is  given  to  man  to  see  the  Divine  Providence  on  the 

back  and  not  on  the  face,  also  in  a  spiritual  state,  and  not  in 
"his  natural  state, 171 

That  one's  own  prudence  is  nothing,  and  only  appears  to  be,  and 
also  ought  to  appear  as  if  it  was  ;  but  that  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence from  things  most  particular  is  universal, 175 

I.  That  all  the  thoughts  of  man  are  from  the  affections  of  his  life's 
love,  and  that  there  are  no  thoughts,  nor  can  they  be  given, 
without  them, 176 

II.  That  the  affections  of  the  life's  love  of  man  are  known  to  the 

Lord  alone, 180 

III.  That  the  affections  of  the  life's  love  of  man  are  led  of  the  Lord 

by  His  Divirie  Providence,  and  then  at  the  same  time  the 
thoughts,  from  which  is  human  prudence, — end  of  n.  200,    .    .    184 

IV.  That  llie  Lord  hy  His  Divine  Providence   composes   the  affec- 

tions iiUo  one  form,  which  is  the  human, 184 

V.  That  heaven  and  hell  are  in  snch  a  form, 187 

VI.  That   they  who  have  acknowledged  nature  alone,  and  human 

prudence  alone,  make  hell ;  and  they  who  have  acknowledged 

God  and  His  Divine  Providence,  make  heaven, .  188 

1.  Whence  and  what  one's  own  prudence  is, 188 

2.  Whence  and  what  the  Divine  Providence  is, 189 

3.  Who  anil  of  what  quality  the  former  and  the  latter  are 190 

VII.  That  all  these  things  could  not  he  done,  unless  it  appeared  to 

man  that  he  thinks  from  himself  and  disposes  from  himself,  .    191 


CONTENTS,  7 

Page. 
That  the  Divine  Providence  looks  to  eternal  things,  and  no  other- 
wise  to  things  temporal  than  as  far  as  they  agree  with  the 
eternal,      194 

I.  That  temporal  things  have  reference  to  dignities  and  riches,  thus 

to  honors  and  gains,  in  the  world, 194 

1.  What  and  whence  dignities  and  riches  are, 195 

2.  Of  what  quality  is  tlie   love  of  dignities  and  riches  for  the   sake  of 

them ;  and  of  what  quality  is  the  love  of  dignities  and  riches  for  the 
sake  of  uses, 196 

3.  That  these  two  loves  are  distinct  from  each  other  as  hell  and  heaven,  .     198 

4.  That  the  difference  between  these  is  with  difficulty  known  by  man,  .  .      199 
II.  That   eternal   things    have   reference   to   spiritual   honors   and 

wealth,  which  are  of  love  and  wisdom,  in  heaven,      200 

1.  That  honors  and  wealth  are  blessings,  and  that  they  are  curses,    ....     201 

2.  That  dignities  and  wealth,  when  they  are  blessings,  are  spiritual  and 

eternal,  and  that  when  they  are  curses,  they  are  temporal  and  per- 
ishable      202 

3.  That  dignities  and  wealth  which  are  curses,  in  comparison  of  dignities 

and  wealth  which  are  blessings,  are  as  nothing  to  everything,  and 

as  what  in  itself  is  not,  to  that  which  in  itself  is, 204 

III.  That  temporal  and  eternal  things  are  separated  by  man,  but  that 

they  are  conjoined  by  the  Lord, 204 

1.  What  temporal  things  are,  and  what  eternal  things  are, 204 

2.  That  man  is  temporal  in  himself  and  that  the  Lord  is  eternal  in  Him- 

self; and  that  hence  nothing  can   proceed  from  man  but  what  is 
temporal,  and  nothing  from  the  Lord  but  what  is  eternal,    ....     205 

3.  That  temporal  things  separate  eternal  things  from  themselves,  and  that 

eternal  things  conjoin  things  temporal  to  themselves, 206 

4.  That  the  Lord  conjoins  man  to  Himself  by  appearances,      207 

5.  That  the  Lord  conjoins  man  to  Himself  by  correspondences, 207 

IV.  That  the  conjunction  of  temporal  and  eternal  things  with  man 

is  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord, 207 

1.  That  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  man  after  death  puts  off 

natural  and  temporal  thinss,  and  puts  on  spiritual   and  eternal 
things, " 208 

2.  That  the  Lord  by  His  Divine  Providence  conjoins  Himself  to  natural 

things  by  spiritual,  and  to  temporal  things  by  eternal,  according  to 
uses, " 208 

3.  That  the  Lord  conjoins  Himself  to  uses  by  correspondences,  and  thus 

by  appearances  according  to  the  confirmations  of  them  by  man,  .    .     209 

4.  That  such  conjunction  of  temporal  and  eternal  things  is  the  Divine 

Providence, 210 

That  man  is  not  let  interiorly  into  the  truths  of  faith,  and  into  the 
goods  of  charity,  except  so  far  as  he  can  be  kept  in  them  until 
the  end  of  life,     212 

I.  That  man  can  be  let  into  the  wisdom  of  spiritual  things,  and 

also  into  the  love  of  them,  and  still  not  he  reformed,      ....    213 

II.  That  if  man  afterwards  recedes  from  and  runs  counler  to  them, 

he  profanes  holy  things, 216 

1.  That  whatever  man  thinks,  speaks  or  does  from  the  will,  is  appropri- 

ated to  him  and  remains,  as  well  good  .as  evil,  217 

2.  But  that  the  Lord  by  His  Divine  Providence  continually  takes  care  and 

disposes,  that  evil  should  be  by  itself  and  good  by  itself,  and  thus 
that  they  should  be  separated 217 

3.  But  that  this  cannot  be  done,  if  man  first  acknowledges  the  truths  of 

faith,  and  lives  according  to  them,  and  afterwards  recedes  from 

and  denies  them, 218 

4.  That  he  then  mixes  good  and  evil,  so  far  that  they  cannot  be  sepa- 

rated  219 

5.  Because  trood  and  evil  must  be  separated  with  every  man,  and  cannot 

be  separated  with  such  an  one.  that  therefore  as  to  everything  truly 
human  he  is  destroyed, 219 


8  CONTENTS. 

Page. 

III.  That  there  are  very  many  kinds  of  the  profanation  of  what  is 

holy,  and  that  this  kind  is  the  worst  of  all, 221 

1.  The  first  kind  of  profanation  is  by  those,  who  jest  from  the  Word  and 

concerning  the  Word,  or  from  the  divine  things  of  the  church  and 
concerning  them 223 

2.  The  second  kind  of  profanation  is  by  those,  who  understand  and  ac- 

knowledge divine  truths,  and  yet  live  contrary  to  them, 224 

3.  The  third  kind  of  profanation  is  by  those,  who-apply  the  literal  sense  of 

the  Word  to  confirming  evil  loves  and  false  principles, 224 

4.  The  fourth  kind  of  profanation  is  by  those,  wlio  speak  pious  things 

with  the  mouth,  and  also  counterfeit  by  sound  and  gesture  the  af- 
fection of  the  love  of  them,  and  yet  in  heart  do  not  believe  and 
love  them, 225 

5.  The  fifth  kind  of  profanation  is  by  those,  who  attribute  divine  things 

to  themselves, 225 

6.  The  sixth  kind  of  profanation  is  by  those,  who  acknowledge  the  Word, 

and  still  deny  the  Divine  of  the  Lord, 226 

7.  The  seventh  kind  of  profanation  is  by  those  who  first  acknowledge  di- 

vine truths  and  live  according  to  them,  and  afterwards  recede  from 

and  deny  them, 226 

IV.  That  the  Lord  therefore  does  not  let  man  interiorly  into  the  truths 

of  wisdom  and  at  the  same  time  into  the  goods  of  love,  except 

so  far  as  man  can  be  kept  in  them  until  the  end  of  life,    .    .    .    228 

1.  That  in  the  interiors  with  men  there  cannot  be  evil  and  at  the  same 

time  good,  and  hence  neither  the  falsity  of  evil  and  at  the  same 
time  the  truth  of  good, 229 

2.  That  good  and  the  truth  of  good  cannot  be  introduced  by  the  Lord  into 

the  interiors  of  man,  except  so  far  as  evil  and  the  falsity  of  evil  is 
removed  there,   ' 230 

3.  If  good  with  its  truth  were  introduced  sooner  or  more  than  evil  with  its 

falsity  is  removed,  man  would  recede  from  good,  and  turn  back  to 

his  evil, 231 

4.  That  when  man  is  in  evil,  many  truths  maybe  introduced  into  his  un- 

derstanding, and  these  stored  tip  in  the  memory,  and  yet  not  be 
profaned, 232 

5.  But  that  the  Lord  by  His  Divine  Providence  takes  the  greatest  possible 

care,  that  it  should  not  be  received  thence  by  the  will  sooner  and 
more  than  as  far  as  man  as  of  himself  removes  evil  in  the  external 
man 232 

6.  That  if  it  were  sooner  and  more,  then  the  will  would  adulterate  the 

good,  and  the  understanding  would  falsify  the  truth,  by  mixing 
them  with  evils  and  thence  falsities,      233 

7.  That  the  Lord  therefore  does  not  let  man  interiorly  into  the  truths  of 

wisdom  and  into  the  goods  of  love,  except  as  far  as  man  can  be 
kept  in  them  until  the  end  of  life, 235 

That  the  laws  of  permission  are  also  laws  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence,     235 

Some  thin£fs  enumerated,  which  are  things  of  permission,  and 
still  according  to  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Providence,  by 
which  the  merely  natural  man  confirms  himself  in  favor  of 
nature  against  God,  and  in  favor  of  human  prudence  against 
the  Divine  Providence : 
I.  That  the  wisest  of  men,  Adam  and  his  wife,  suffered  themselves 
to  he  seduced   hy  the  serpent,  and  that  God  did  not  by  His 

Divine  Providence  avert  this, 239 

II.  That  their  first  son,  Cain,  killed  his  brother  Abel,  and  God  did 
not  then  withhold  him  liy  speaking  with  him,  but  only  after 

the  deed  liy  cursing  him, 240 

III.  That  the  Israelitish  nation  worshiped  a  golden  calf  in  the  de- 
sert, and  acknowledged  it  instead  of  God,  who  led  them  out 
of  the  land  of  Egj^pt ;  when  yet  Jehovah  saw  this  from  Motmt 
Sinai  near  by,  and  did  not  prevent  it, 241 


CONTENTS.  9 

Page. 
IV.  That  David  numbered  the    people,  and  therefor  a  plague  was 
sent,  of  which  so  many  thousand  men  perished  ;  and  tiiat  God 
sent  the   prophet  Gad  to  him  and  denounced   punishment  on 

him,  not  before  but  after  the  deed 241 

V.  That  it  was  permitted  Solomon  to  institute  idolatrous  worship,      242 
VI.  That  it  was  permitted  manj-  kings  after  Solomon,  to  profane  the 

temple  and  the  holy  things  of  the  church, 243 

VII.  That  it  was  permitted  that  nation  to  crucify  the  Lord, 243 

That  the  worshiper  of  self  and  worshiper  of  nature  confirms 
himself  against  the  Divine  Providence  : 

I.  When  he  sees  so  many  impious  in  the  world,  and  so  many  of 
their  impieties,  and  at  the  same  time  the  gloryings  of  some  in 
them,  and  still  not  any  punishment  of  them  by  God,    ....    241 

II.  When  he  sees  the  impious  raised  to  honors,  and  become  the 
great  and  first  men;  and  also  abound  in  riches,  and  live  in 
delicacies  and  magnificence,  and  the  worshipers  of  God  in 
contempt  and  poverty, 246 

III.  When  he  thinks  that  wars  are  permitted,  and  then  the  slaugh- 

ter of  so  many  men,  and  the  plunder  of  their  wealth,     ....    249 

IV.  When  he  thinks,  according  to  his  perception,  that  victories  take 

the  side  of  prudence,  and  sometimes  not  the  side  of  justice: 
also  that  it  makes  no  difference,  whether  the  commander  is 
upright,  or  whether  he  is  unprincipled, 252 

That   the   merely  natural   man   confirms   himself  against   the 

Divine  Providence  : 

I.  When  he  looks  at  the  religions  of  the  various  nations  ;  that  there 

are  given  those  who  are  altogether  ignorant  of  God  ;  and  that 

there  are  given  those  who  adore  the  sun  and  moon  ;  also  who 

adore  idols  and  sculptures, 254 

II.  When  he  looks  at  the  Mahometan  religion,  that  it  is  received  by 

so  many  empires  and  kingdoms, 256 

III.  When  he  sees  ihat  the  christian  religion  is  only  in  the  smallest 

part  of  the  habitable  world,  which  is  called  Europe,  and  that 

It  is  divided  there, 259 

IV.  From  this,  that  in  very  many  kingdoms,  where  the  christian  re- 

ligion is  received,  there  are  those  who  claim  to  themselves 
divine  power,  and  wish  to  be  worshiped  as  gods  ;   and  that 

.  they  invoke  deal  men, 261 

V.  From  this,  that  among  those  who  profess  the  christian  religion, 
there  are  tho*;e  who  place  salvation  in  certam  words  which 
they  think  and  speak,  and  not  at  all  in  the  goods  which  they  do,    263 

VI.  From  this,  that  there  have  been  so  many  heresies  in  the  chris-   • 
tian  world,  and  still  are,  as  Quakerism.  Moravianism,  Ana- 
baptism,  and  more, 265 

VII.  From  this,  that  Judaism  still  continues, 267 

That  a  doufit  may  he  inferred  against  the  Divine  Providence  : 
I.  From  this,  that  the  whole  christian  world  worships  one  God  un- 
der three  persons,  which  is,  three  Gods;  and  that  hitherto  it 
has  not  known,  that  God  is  one  in  person  and  in  essence,  in 
whom  is  a  trinity,  and  that  that  God  is  the  Lord,  ......    269 

II.  From  this,  that  hitherto  they  have  not  known,  that  in  each  thing 
of  the  Word  there  is  a  spiritual  sense,  and  that  its  sanctity  is 

thence, 274 

1.  Tliat  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  has  not  been  revealed  before,  be- 
cause, if  it  had  Ijeen.  the  church  would  have  profaned  it,  and  there- 
by the  sanctity  itself  of  the  Word, 274 


10  CONTENTS. 

Page. 
2.  That  neither  the  genuine  truths,  in  which  the  spiritual  sense  of  the 
Word  is,  were  revealed  by  the  Lord,  until  after  the  last  judgment 
was  accomplished,  and  a  new  (Church,  which  is  vinderstood  by  the 
Holy  Jerusalem,  was  to  Ije  established  by  the  Lord, 275 

III.  From  this,  tlial  hitherto  they  have  not  known,  that  to  shun  evils 

as  sins  is  the  christian  religion  itself, 277 

IV.  From  this,  that  hitherto  they  have  not  known,  that  man  lives  a 

man  after  death ;  and  this  has  not  been  before  disclosed,  .    .    .    278 

That  evils  are  permitted  for  the  sake  of  the  end,  which  is  salva- 
tion,     280 

I.  That  every  man  is  in  evil,  and  that  he  must  be  withdrawn  from 

evil,  that  he  may  be  reformed, 282 

II.  That  evils  cannot  be  removed,  unless  they  appear, 284 

1.  Concerning  those  who  confess  that  they  are  guilty  of  aU  sins,  and  do 

not  search  out  any  one  in  themselves, 285 

2.  Concerning  tliose  who  from  religion  omit  to  search, 286 

3.  Concerning  those  who  on  account  of  worldly  things  do  not  think  con- 

cerning sins,  and  hence  do  not  know  them, 286 

4.  Concerning  those  who  favor  sins,  and  therefore  cannot  know  them,  .    .     287 

5.  That  sins  do  not  appear  with  those,  and  that  therefore  they  cannot  be 

removed, ' 287 

6.  The  cause,  hitherto  hidden,  why  evils  cannot  be  removed  without  the 

exploration,  appearance,  acknowledgment,  confession,  and  resist- 
ance of  tViem 288 

III.  That  as  far  as  evils  are  removed,  so  far  they  are  remitted,  .    .    .    289 
L  That  it  is  an  error  of  the  age,  that  it  Is  believed  tliat  evils  are  sepa- 
rated, yea,  cast  out,  when  they  are  remitted 289 

2.  That  it  is  an  error  of  the  age,  that  it  is  believed  that  the  state  of  man's 

life  can  be  changed  in  a  moment,  and  thus  man  from  evil  be  made 
good,  consequently  be  led  out  of  hell,  and  instantly  transferred  into 
heaven,  and  this  from  the  immediate  mercy  of  the  Lord, 290 

3.  That  they  who  believe  thus,  know  nothing  at  all  as  to  what  evil  is, 

and  what  good, 291 

4.  That  they  who  believe  in  instantaneous  salvation  and  immediate  mer- 

cy, do  not  know  that  the  alTections,  which  are  of  the  will,  are  mere 
changes  of  the  stale  of  the  purely  organic  substances  of  the  mind  ; 
and  that  the  thoughts,  which  are  of  the  understanding,  are  mere 
changes  and  variations  of  their  form;  and  that  the  memory  is  the 
permanent  state  of  those  changes  and  variations, 292 

IV.  That  thus  there  is  permission  of  evil  for  the  sake  of  the  end 

that  there  may  be  salvation, 295 

That  the  Divine  Providence  is  equally  with  the  evil  as  with  the 

good, 298 

I.  That  the  Divine  Providence,  not  only  with  the  good,  but  also 
with  the  evil,  is  universal  in  the  most  particular  things  ;  and 

that  still  it  is  not  in  their  evils, 300 

Certain  ones,  convinced  that  no  one  thinks  from  himself,  but  from  influx 

through  heaven  from  the  Lord,  said — 
L  That  thus  they  would  not  be  in  fault  that  they  do  evil, 306 

2.  That  thus  it  seems,  that  evil  is  from  the  Lord, 307 

3.  That  they  do  not  comprehend,  that  the  Lord  alone  can  cause  that  all 

should  think  in  so  different  a  manner 307 

II.  That  the  evil  continually  lead  themselves  into  evils,  but  that  the 

Lord  continually  withdraws  them  from  evils, 308 

L  That  there  are  innumerable  things  in  every  evil, 308 

2.  That  the  evil  of  himself  continually  leads  himself  deeper  into  his  evils,  309 

3.  That  the  Divine  Providence  with  the  evil  is  the  continual  permission 

of  evil,  to  the  end  that  there  may  he  a  continual  withdrawment,  .    .     311 

4.  That  the  withdrawment  from  evil  is  done  by  the  Lord  in  a  thousand 

ways,  even  the  most  secret, 312 


CONTENTS.  11 

Page. 

III.  That  the  evil  cannot  at  all  be  withdrawn  from  their  evils  by  the 

Lord,  and  be  led  in  goods,  as  long  as  ihey  believe  that  their 
own  intelligence  is  all,  and  that  the  Divine  Providence  is 
nothing, 315 

1.  That  one's  own  intelligence,  when  the  will  is  in  evil,  sees  nothing  but 

falsity  ;  and  that  it  neither  wishes  nor  can  see  anything  else,    .    .    .     316 

2.  That  if  one's  own  intelligence  then  sees  the  truth,  it  either  turns  itself 

away,  or  falsifies  it, 317 

3.  That  the  Divine  Providence  continually  causes  man  to  see  truth,  and 

that  it  also  gives  the  affection  of  perceiving  it  and  of  receiving  it,  .     317 

4.  That  man  is  thereby  withdrawn  from  evil,  not  by  himself,  but  by  the 

Lord, 318 

IV.  That  the  Lord  governs  hell  by  opposites,  and  that  the  evil  who 

are  in  the  world  he  governs  in  hell  as  to  interiors  and  not  as 

to  exteriors, 319 

That  the  Divine  Providence  does  not  appropriate  evil  to  any  one  nor 
good  to  any  one,  but  that  his  own  prudence  appropriates  both,    .  324 

I.  What  one's  own  prudence  is,  and  what  prudence  not  one's  own  is,    327 
II.  That  man    from  his  own  prudence  persuades  himself,  and  con- 
firms with  himself,  that  all  good  and  truth  is  from  himself  and 
in  himself,  in  like  manner  all  evil  and  falsity, 331 

III.  That  every  persuasion  and  confirmation  remains  as  his  own  with 

man, 335 

1.  That  there  is  nothing  which  cannot  be  confirmed,  and  that  falsity  can 

more  than  the  truth, 337 

2.  That  the  truth  does  not  appear  from  the  confirmation  of  falsity,  but  that 

from  the  confirmation  of  the  truth  falsity  does  appear, 339 

3.  That  to  be  able  to  confirm  whatever  one  pleases,  is  not  intelligence, 

but  only  ingenuity,  given  even  with  the  worst, 340 

4.  That  there  is  given  intellectual  confirmation  and  not  at  the  same  time 

voluntary,  and  that  all  voluntary  coufirniation  is  also  intellectual,   .     340 

5.  That  voluntary  and  at  the  same  time  intellectual  confirmation  of  evil 

causes  man  to  believe  his  own  prudence  to  be  all,  and  the  Divine 
Providence  nothing  ;  bnt  not  intellectual  confirmation  alone,    .    .    .     341 

6.  That  everything  confirmed  by  the  will  and  at  the  same  time  by  the  un- 

derstanding remains  to  eternity,  but  not  that  which  is  only  con- 
firmed by  the  understanding, 341 

IV.  That  if  man  believed,  as  is  the  truth,  that  all  good  and  truth  are 

from  the  Lord,  and  all  evil  and  falsity  from  hell,  he  would  not 
appropriate  good  to  liimself.  and  make  it  meritorious,  nor  would 
he  appropriate  evil  to  himself,  and  make  himself  guilty  of  it,  .    343 

1.  Tliat  he  who  confirms  with  himself  the  appearance  that  wisdom  and 

prudence  are  from  man  and  in  man  as  his.  cannot  see  anything  else 
but  that  he  otherwise  would  not  be  man,  but  either  a  beast,  or  a 
sculpture  ;  when  yet  it  is  the  contrary, .344 

2.  That  to  believe  and  think,  as  is  the  truth,  that  all  good  and  truth  are 

from  the  Lord,  and  all  evil  and  falsity  from  hell,  appears  as  impos- 
sible;  when  yet  it  is  truly  human  and  thence  angelic, 345 

3.  That  to  believe  and  think  so  is  impossible  to  those  who  do  not  acknow- 

ledge the  Divine  of  the  Lord,  and  who  do  not  acknowledge  evils  to  be 
sins :  and  that  it  is  possible  to  those  who  acknowledge  these  two 
things, " 346 

4.  That  they  who  are  in  these  two  acknowledgments,  only  reflect  upon 

the  evils  with  themselves,  and  reject  thorn  to  hell,  whence  they 

are,  as  far  as  they  shun  and  loathe  them  as  sins, 346 

5.  That  thus  the  Divine  Providence  does  not  appropriate  evil  to  anyone, 

nor  good  to  any  one,  but  that  his  own  prudence  appropriates  both,       347 

That  every  man  may  be  reformed,  and  that  predestination  is  not 
given,     347 


12  CONTENTS. 

Page. 
I.  That  the  end  of  creation  is  a  heaven  from  the  human  race,   .   .    .    349 

1.  Thai  every  man  was  creatfid  thai  he  mi^hl  live  lo  eternily, 350 

2.  Thai  every  man  was  created  that  he  might  live  lo  eternity  in  a  blessed  state,  352 

3.  That  thns  every  man  was  created  that  hemi^'ht  come  Into  heaven,  .    .      352 

4.  Tlial  the  Divine  Love  cannot  do  otlierwise  than  will  this,  and  thai  the 

Divine  Wisdom  cannot  do  otiierwise  than  provide  for  it 353 

II.  That  hence  it  is  from  the  Divine  Providence,  that  every  man  can 

be  saved,  and  that  they  are  saved  who  acknowledge  God  and 
live  well, 354 

1.  That  the  acknowledsrment  of  God  makes  conjunction  of  God  with  man, 

and  of  man  with  God  ;  and  that  the  denial  of  God  makes  disjunction,     355 

2.  That  every  one  acknowledges  God,  and  is  conjoined  to  Him,  according 

to  the  good  of  his  life, 357 

3.  That  good  of  life,  or  living  well,  is  to  shun  evils  because  they  are  against 

religion,  thus  against  God, 357 

4.  That  these  are  the  generals  of  all  religions,  by  which  every  one  can  be 

saved, 358 

III.  That  man  himself  is  in  fault  if  he  is  not  saved, 360 

1.  That  every  religion  in  process  of  lime  decreases  and  is  consummated,  .     361 

2.  That  every  reli^iion  decreases  and  is  consummated  by  the  inversion  of 

the  image  of  God  with  man,      363 

3.  That  this  exists  from  the  continual  increase  of  hereditary  evil  in  gen- 

erations,     364 

4.  That  still  it  is  provided  by  the  Lord  that  every  one  can  be  saved,  .    .    .     365 

5.  That  it  is  also  provided,  that  a  new  church  should  succeed  in  place  of 

the  former  devastated  one, 365 

IV.  That  thus  all  are  predestinated  to  heaven,  and  no  one  to  hell,  .    366 

1.  That  any  other  predestination  than  to  heaven  is  contrary  to  the  Divine 

Love,  which  is  infinite, 367 

2.  That  any  other  predestination  than  to  heaven  is  contrary  to  the  Divine 

Wisdom,  which  is  infinite, 369 

3.  That  they  alone  are  aaved  who  are  born  within  the  church,  is  an  insane 

heresy, 369 

4.  That  any  of  the  human  race  are  damned  from  predestination,  is  a  cruel 

heresy, 371 

That  the  Lord  cannot  act  contrary  to  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, because  to  act  contrary  to  them  would  be  to  act  contrary 
to  His  Diwne  Love  and  contrary  to  His  Divine  Wisdom,  thus 
contrary  to  Himself, 371 

I.  That  the  operation   of  the  Divine  Providence  for  saving  man 
commences  from  his  birth,  and  lasts  until  the  end  of  his  life, 

and  afterwards  to  eternity, 372 

II.  That  the  operation  of  the  Divine  Providence  continually  takes 

place  through  means  from  p\ire  mercy, 376 

HI.  That  instantaneous  salvation  from  immediate  mercy  is  not  pos- 
sible,     -378 

1.  That  the  belief  concerning  instantaneous  salvation   from  immediate 

mercy  is  taken  from  the  slate  of  the  natural  man, 379 

2.  But  that  this  belief  is  fnm  ignorance  of  the  spiritual  state,  which  is  alto- 

gether different  from  the  natural  slate, 380 

3.  That  the  doctrines  of  the  churches  in  the  christian  world,  viewed  inte- 

riorly, are  against  instantaneous  salvalion  from   immediate  mercy; 

but  still  that  the  external  men  of  ihe  church  establish  it, 332 

IV.  That  instantaneous  salvation  from  immediate  mercy  is  the  flying 

serpent  in  the  church, 334 

L  That  thereby  religion  is  abolished, 384 

2.  That  by  the  belief  in   instantaneous   salvation   from  pure  and  mere 

mercy  security  of  life  is  induced, 385 

3.  That  by  that  belief  damnation  is  imputed  to  the  Lord, 335 


ANGELIC    WISDOM 


CONCERNING 


THE    DIVINE   PROVIDENCE 


THAT  THE    DIVINE  PROVIDENCE  IS  THE    GOVERNMENT  OF    THE 
DIVINE  LOVE  AND  DIVINE  WISDOM  OF  THE  LORD. 

1.  That  it  may  be  understood  what  the  Divine 
Providence  is,  and  that  it  is  the  government  of  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  of  the  Lord,  it  is 
important  that  the  things  should  be  known  which 
have  been  before  said  and  shown  concerning  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  in  the  treatise  upon 
them,  which  are  the  following:  That  in  the  Lord, 
the  Divine  Love  is  of  the  Divine  Wisdom,  and  the 
Divine  Wisdom  of  the  Divine  Love,  n.  34  to  39.  That 
the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  cannot  but  be 
and  exist  in  other  things  created  from  themselves,  n. 
47  to  51.  That  all  things  of  the  universe  were  created 
by  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  52,  53, 
151  to  156.  That  all  things  of  the  universe  are  re- 
cipients of  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  n. 
54  to  60.  That  the  Lord  appears  before  the  angels 
as  a  sun,  and  that  the  heat  thence  proceeding  is  love, 
and  the  light  thence  proceeding  is  wisdom,  n.  83  to 
88,  89  to  92,  93  to  98,  296  to  301.  That  the  Divine 
Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  which  proceed  from  the 
Lord,  make  one,  n.  99  to  102.  That  the  Lord  from 
eternity,  who  is  Jehovah,  created  the  universe  and  all 
2 


14  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

things  of  it  from  Himself,  and  not  from  nothing,  n. 
282  to  284,  290  to  295.  These  are  in  the  treatise 
which  is  called  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom. 

2.  From  these  things,  compared  with  those  which 
were  described  concerning  creation  in  that  treatise,  it 
may  indeed  be  evident,  that  the  government  of  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  of  the  Lord  is  what 
is  called  the  Divine  Providence;  but,  because  creation 
was  there  treated  of,  and  not  the  preservation  of  the 
state  of  things  after  creation,  and  this  is  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Lord,  tliorefore  this  is  now  to  he  here 
treated  of:  but  in  this  chapter,  concerning  the  pre- 
servation of  the  union  of  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine 
Wisdom,  or  of  the  Divine  Good  and  Divine  Truth,  in 
the  things  which  were  created;  which  is  to  be  spoken 
of  in  this  order.  L  That  the  universe,  with  each 
and  every  thing  of  it,  was  created  from  the  Divine 
Love  by  the  Divine  Wisdom.  II.  That  the  Divine 
Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  proceed  as  one  from  the 
Lord.  III.  That  this  one  is  in  a  certain  image  in 
every  created  thing.  IV.  That  it  is  of  the  Divine 
Providence,  that  every  created  thing,  in  general  and 
in  particular,  is  such  a  one ;  and  if  it  is  not,  that  it 
should  become  so.  V.  That  the  good  of  love  is  not 
good  any  farther  than  as  it  is  united  to  the  truth  of 
wisdom;  and  that  the  truth  of  wisdom  is  not  truth 
any  farther  than  as  it  is  united  to  the  good  of  love. 
VI.  That  the  good  of  love  not  united  to  the  truth  of 
wisdom  is  not  good  in  itself,  but  that  it  is  apparent 
good;  and  that  the  truth  of  wisdom  not  united  to 
the  good  of  love  is  not  truth  in  itself,  bat  that  it  is 
apparent  trnth.  VII.  That  the  Lord  does  not  suffer 
that  anything  should  be  divided  ;  wherefore  it  must 
eitlier  be  in  good,  and  at  the  same  time  in  truth,  or 
it  must  he  in  evil,  and  at  the  same  time  in  falsity. 
VIII.  That  that  which  is  in  good,  and  at  the  same 
time  in  truth,  is  something;  and  that  that  which  is 
in  evil,  and  at  the  same  time  in  falsity,  is  not  any- 
thing.    IX.    That  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  15 

causes  that  evil,  and  at  the  same  time  falsity,  may- 
serve  for  equilibrium,  for  relation,  for  purification, 
and  thus  for  the  conjunction  of  good  and  truth  in 
others. 

3.  I.  That  the  universe,  with  each  and  every  tiling 
of  it,  was  created  from  the  Divi?ie  Love  by  the  Divine 
Wisdom.  That  the  Lord  from  eternity,  who  is  .Teho- 
vah,  is  as  to  essence  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom, 
and  that  He  created  the  universe,  and  all  things  of  it, 
from  Himself,  was  demonstrated  in  the  treatise  con- 
cerning the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  :  thence 
this  follows,  that  the  universe,  with  each  and  every 
thing  of  it,  was  created  from  the  Divine  liove  by  the 
Divine  Wisdom.  In  the  forementioned  treatise  it  was 
also  demonstrated,  that  love  without  wisdom  cannot 
do  anything,  nor  wisdom  anything  without  love;  for 
love  without  wisdom,  or  will  without  understanding, 
cannot  think  anything  ;  yea,  cannot  see  and  feel  any- 
thing, nor  speak  anything;  wherefore,  neither  can 
love  without  wisdom,  or  will  without  understandings 
do  anything :  just  so,  wisdom  without  love,  or  under- 
standing without  will,  cannot  think  anything,  nor  can 
it  see  and  feel  anything;  yea,  neither  can  it  speak 
anything;  Avherefore,  wisdom  without  love,  or  under- 
standing without  will,  cannot  do  anything;  for  if  love 
is  taken  away  from  them,  there  is  no  longer  any  will- 
ing, thus  there  is  not  any  acting.  Since  the  case  is 
such  with  man  when  he  is  doing  anything,  much 
more  was  it  the  case  with  God,  who  is  love  itself,  and 
wisdom  itself,  when  he  created  and  made  the  imi verse 
and  all  things  of  it.  That  the  universe,  with  each 
and  every  thing  of  it,  was  created  from  the  Divine 
Love  by  tlie  Divine  Wisdom,  may  be  confirmed  from 
all  things  presented  to  the  sight  in  the  world :  take 
only  some  object  in  particular,  and  survey  it  from 
some  wisdom,  and  you  wnll  be  confirmed  :  take  a  tree, 
or  its  seed,  or  its  fruit,  or  its  flower,  or  its  leaf,  and 
collect  wisdom  with  yourself,  and  inspect  it  with  a 
fine  microscope,  and  you  will  see  wonders;  and  the 
interiors,  which  you  do  not  see,  are  more  wonderful 


16  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

Still.  Observe  the  order  in  its  progression ;  how  the 
tree  grows  from  the  seed  even  to  new  seed ;  and 
weigh  whether  in  the  whole  progression  there  is  not  the 
continual  effort  of  propagating  itself  farther ;  for  the 
last  thing  to  which  it  tends  is  seed,  in  which  is  its 
prolific  principle  anew  :  if  then  you  wish  also  to  think 
spiritually,  and  this  you  can  do  if  you  wish,  will  you 
not  see  wisdom  in  it?  and  still,  if  you  wish  so  far  to 
think  spiritually,  that  this  is  not  from  the  seed,  nor 
from  the  sun  of  the  world,  which  is  pure  fire,  but  that 
it  is  in  the  seed  from  God  the  creator,  who  has  infinite 
wisdom ;  and  that  it  was  so,  not  only  then  when  it  was 
created,  but  also  that  it  is  so  continually  afterwards; 
for  sustentation  is  perpetual  creation,  as  subsistence 
is  perpetual  existence  :  this  is  like  as  if  you  take  away 
will  from  act,  work  ceases ;  or  if  from  speech  you  take 
away  thought,  speech  ceases ;  or  if  from  motion  you 
take  away  endeavor,  motion  ceases ;  in  a  word,  if 
from  the  effect  you  take  away  tiie  cause,  the  effect 
perishes,  and  so  on.  On  every  such  created  thing 
indeed  is  bestowed  power,  but  power  does  not  do  any- 
thing of  itself,  but  from  him  who  bestowed  the  power. 
Inspect  also  some  other  subject  upon  earth ;  as  a  silk- 
worm, a  bee,  or  other  animalcule,  and  survey  it  first 
naturally,  and  afterwards  rationally,  and  at  length 
spiritually ;  and  then,  if  you  can  think  deeply,  you 
will  be  astonished  at  everything;  and  if  you  admit 
wisdom  to  speak  in  you,  you  will  say  in  astonishment, 
who  does  not  see  the  Divine  in  these  things  1  all  things 
are  of  the  Divine  Wisdom.  Still  more,  if  you  look  at 
the  uses  of  all  things  which  were  created,  how  they 
succeed  in  their  order  even  to  man,  and  from  man  to 
the  Creator  from  whom  they  are ;  and  that  upon  the 
conjunction  of  the  Creator  with  man  hangs  the  con- 
nexion of  all  things,  and  if  you  are  willing  to  acknow- 
ledge it,  the  preservation  of  all  things.  That  the 
Divine  Love  created  all  things,  but  nothing  without 
the  Divine  Wisdom,  will  be  seen  in  what  follows. 

4.    II.    That  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom 
proceed  as  one  from  the  Lord.     This  is  manifest  alsQ 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE,  17 

from  those  things  which  were  demonstrated  in  the 
treatise  concerning  the  Divine  IjOve  and  Divine  Wis- 
dom, especially  from  these  things  there  :  That  to  be  and 
to  exist  in  the  Lord  are  distinctly  one,  n.  14  to  17. 
That  in  the  Lord,  infinite  things  are  distinctly  one,  n. 
17  to  22.  That  the  Divine  Love  is  of  the  Divine 
Wisdom,  and  the  Divine  Wisdom  of  the  Divine  Love, 
n.  34  to  39.  *  That  love  without  a  marriage  with 
wisdom  cannot  do  anything,  n.  401  to  403.  That  love 
does  nothing  except  in  conjnnction  with  wisdom,  n. 
409,  410.  That  spiritual  heat  and  spiritual  light,  in 
proceeding  from  the  Lord  as  a  snn,  make  one,  as  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  in  the  Lord  are  one, 
n.  99  to  132 :  from  the  things  which  were  demon- 
strated in  these  places,  the  truth  of  this  thing  is 
manifest.  But  because  it  is  not  known  how  two 
things  distinct  in  themselves  can  act  as  one,  I  choose 
here  to  show,  that  a  one  without  a  form  is  not  given, 
but  that  form  itself  makes  a  one ;  next,  that  a  form 
makes  so  much  the  more  perfect  a  one,  as  those  things 
which  enter  into  the  form  are  distinctly  other,  and  yet 
united.  That  a  one  vnthout  a  form  is  not  given,  but 
that  form  itself  makes  a  one :  Every  one  who  thinks 
with  intentness  of. mind,  may  clearly  see  that  a  one 
without  a  form  is  not  given;  and  if  it  is  given,  that 
it  is  a  form :  for  whatever  exists,  derives  from  form 
that  which  is  called  quality,  and  that  too  which  is 
called  predicate,  also  that  which  is  called  change  of 
state,  and  also  that  which  is  called  relative,  and  other 
like  things;  wherefore,  that  which  is  not  in  a  form  is 
not  of  any  affection,  and  what  is  not  of  any  affection 
is  also  of  no  reality  :  form  itself  gives  all  these  things ; 
and  because  all  things  which  are  in  a  form,  if  the  form 
is  perfect,  mutually  regard  each  other,  as  link  does 
link  in  a  chain,  therefore  it  follows  that  form  itself 
makes  a  one,  and  thus  a  subject,  concerning  which 
can  be  predicated  quality,  state,  affection,  thus  any- 
thing, according  to  the  perfection  of  the  form.  Such 
a  one  is  everything  which  is  viewed  with  the  eyes  in 
the  world,  and  such  a  one  also  is  everything  which 
2* 


18  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONX'ERNING 

is  not  viewed  with  the  eyes,  whether  it  is  in  interior 
nature  or  in  the  spiritual  world  :  such  a  one  is  man, 
and  such  a  one  is  human  society  ;  and  such  a  one  is 
the  church,  also  the  universal  angelic  heaven  before 
the  Lord ;  in  a  word,  such  a  one  is  the  created 
universe,  not  only  in  general,  but  also  in  every  par- 
ticular. As  things  all  and  each  are  forms,  it  must 
be  that  He  who  created  all  things  is  form  itself,  and 
that  from  form  itself  are  all  things  which  were  created 
in  forms  :  this  is  therefore  what  was  demonstrated  in 
the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine 
Wisdom,  as.  That  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wis- 
dom is  substance,  and  that  it  is  form,  n.  40  to  43.  That 
the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  is  form  in  itself, 
thus  the  very  and  the  only,  n.  44  to  46.  That  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  in  the  Lord  are 
one,  n.  14  to  17,  n.  18  to  22.  And  that  they  proceed 
as  one  from  the  Lord,  n.  99  to  102,  and  elsewhere. 
That  a  form  makes  so  much  the  more  perfect  a  one^ 
as  those  things  which  enter  into  the  form  are  distinctly 
other ^  and  yet  united:  This  falls  with  difficulty  into 
the  understanding,  unless  elevated,  since  the  appear- 
ance is,  that  a  form  cannot  otherwise  make  a  one, 
than  by  semblances  of  the  equality  of  those  things 
which  constitute  the  form  :  concerning  this  thing  I 
have  very  often  spoken  with  the  angels,  who  said 
that  this  is  an  arcanum  which  the  wise  of  them  per- 
ceive clearly,  but  the  less  wise  obscurely ;  but  that  it 
is  truth,  that  a  form  is  so  much  the  more  perfect  as 
the  things  that  make  it  are  distinctly  other,  but  still 
united  in  a  onefold  manner  :  they  confirmed  it  by  the 
societies  in  the  heavens,  which,  taken  together,  con- 
stitute the  form  of  heaven ;  and  by  the  angels  of  each 
society,  that  the  more  distinctly  any  one  is  his  own, 
thus  free,  and  so  loves  his  consociates  as  from  himself 
and  his  own  affection,  the  more  perfect  is  the  form  of 
the  society  :  they  also  illustrated  it  by  the  marriage 
of  good  and  truth,  that  the  more  distinctly  they  are 
two,  the  more  perfectly  they  can  make  a  one :  in  like 
manner  love  and  wisdom ;  and  that  what  is  not  dis- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  19 

tinct  is  confused,  from  which  all  imperfection  of  form 
results.  But  how  things  perfectly  distinct  are  united, 
and  thus  make  a  one,  they  also  confirmed  by  many 
things ;  especially  by  the  things  which  are  in  man, 
where  innumerable  things  are  thus  distinct,  and  yet 
united ;  distinct  by  coverings,  and  united  by  liga- 
ments :  and  that  it  is  the  like  with  love  and  all  things 
of  it,  and  with  wisdom  and  all  things  of  it ;  which  are 
not  otherwise  perceived  than  as  a  one.  More  concern- 
ing these  things  may  be  seen  in  the  treatise  concerning 
the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  14  to  22,  and 
in  the  work  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  n.  56  and 
489.  This  is  adduced,  because  it  is  of  angelic  wis- 
dom. 

5.  ni.  Tliat  this  one  is  in  a  certain  image  in  every 
created  thing.  That  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine 
Wisdom,  which  in  the  Lord  are  one,  and  proceed  as  one 
from  Him,  are  in  a  certain  image  in  every  created  thing, 
may  be  evident  from  the  things  which  were  demon- 
strated in  the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and 
Divine  Wisdom  throughout,  and  especially  from  those 
which  are  therein,  n.  47  to  51,  54  to  60,  282  to  284, 
290  to  295,  316  to  318,  319  to  326,  349  to  457;  in 
which  places  it  was  shown,  that  the  Divine  is  in  every 
created  thing,  because  God  the  creator,  who  is  the 
Lord  from  eternity,  produced  from  Himself  the  sun  of 
the  spiritual  world,  and  by  that  sun  all  things  of  the 
universe ;  consequently  that  that  sun,  which  is  from 
the  Lord  and  wherein  the  Lord  is,  is  not  only  the  first 
substance,  but  also  the  only  one  from  which  all  things 
are:  and  because  it  is  the  only  substance,  it  follows 
that  it  is  in  every  created  thing,  but  in  infinite  variety 
according  to  uses.  Now  because  in  the  Lord  is  Divine 
Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  and  in  the  sun  from  Him 
divine  fire  and  divine  splendor,  and  from  the  sun 
spiritual  heat  and  spiritual  light,  and  these  two  make 
one,  it  follows  that  this  one  is  in  a  certain  image  in 
every  created  thing.  Hence  it  is,  that  all  things  which 
are  in  the  universe  have  relation  to  good  and  truth, 
yea,  to  their  conjunction ;  or,  what  is  the  same,  that 


20  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

all  things  in  the  universe  have  relation  to  love  and 
wisdom,  and  to  their  conjunction ;  for  good  is  of  love 
and  truth  is  of  wisdom :  for  love  calls  all  its  own, 
good ;  and  wisdom  calls  all  its  own,  truth.  That  there 
is  a  conjunction  of  these  in  every  created  thing,  will 
be  seen  in  what  follows. 

6.  It  is  acknowledged  by  many,  that  there  is  an 
only  substance,  which  is  also  the  first,  from  which  all 
things  are;  but  of  what  quality  that  substance  is,  is 
not  known :  it  is  believed  that  it  is  so  simple  that 
nothing  is  more  simple ;  and  that  it  may  be  likened  to 
a  point,  which  is  of  no  dimension;  and  that  from 
infinity  of  such  the  forms  of  dimension  existed :  but 
this  is  a  fallacy,  arising  from  the  idea  of  space;  for 
from  this  idea  there  appears  such  a  least  thing :  but 
still  the  truth  is,  that  the  more  simple  and  pure  any- 
thing is,  so  much  the  more  and  the  fuller  it  is ;  which 
is  the  cause  that  the  more  interiorly  any  object  is 
viewed,  so  much  the  more  wonderful,  perfect,  and 
beautiful  things  are  beheld  therein  ;  and  thus  that  in 
the  first  substance  are  the  most  wonderful,  perfect,  and 
beautiful  of  all  things.  That  it  is  so,  is  because  the 
first  substance  is  from  the  spiritual  sun,  which,  as 
was  said,  is  from  the  Lord,  and  in  which  the  Lord  is ; 
thus  that  sun  itself  is  the  only  substance,  which, 
because  it  is  not  in  space,  is  the  all  in  all,  and  in  the 
greatest  and  least  things  of  the  created  universe. 
Since  that  sun  is  the  first  and  only  substance,  from 
which  all  things  are,  it  follows  that  in  it  are  infinitely 
more  things  than  what  can  appear  in  the  substances 
thence  originating,  which  are  called  substantiates  and 
at  length  matters :  that  the  former  cannot  appear  in 
the  latter,  is  because  they  descend  from  that  sun  by 
degrees  of  a  double  kind,  according  to  which  all  per- 
fections decrease  :  hence  it  is,  that,  as  was  said  above, 
the  more  interiorly  anything  is  viewed,  so  much  the 
more  wonderful,  perfect,  and  beautiful  things  are  be- 
held. These  things  are  said,  that  it  may  be  confirmed 
that  the  Divine  is  in  a  certain  image  in  every  created 
thing ;  but  that  it  is  less  and  less  apparent  in  descend- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  21 

ing  through  the  degrees ;  and  still  less  when  the  lower 
degree,  separated  from  the  higher  degree  by  a  closing, 
is  blocked  up  with  terrestrial  matters.  But  these 
things  cannot  but  seem  obscure,  unless  the  things  are 
read  and  understood,  which,  in  the  treatise  concerning 
the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  were  demon- 
strated concerning  the  spiritual  sun,  n.  53  to  172; 
concerning  degrees,  n.  173  to  281 ;  and  concerning  the 
creation  of  the  universe,  n.  282  to  357. 

7.  IV.  That  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence,  thai 
every  created  thifig,  in  general  and  in  particnlar^  is 
such  a  one  ;  and  if  it  is  not,  that  it  shotdd  become  so  ; 
that  is,  that  in  every  created  thing  there  is  something 
from  the  Divine  Love  and  at  the  same  time  from  the 
Divine  Wisdom ;  or,  what  is  the  same,  that  in  every 
created  thing  there  is  good  and  truth,  or  the  conjunc- 
tion of  good  and  truth  :  since  good  is  of  love  and  truth 
is  of  wisdom,  as  was  said  above,  n.  5;  therefore  in  tlie 
following  pages  throughout,  instead  of  love  and  wis- 
dom will  be  said  good  and  truth ;  and  instead  of  the 
union  of  love  and  wisdom,  the  marriage  of  good  and 
truth. 

8.  From  the  preceding  article  it  is  manifest,  that 
the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  which  are  one 
in  the  Lord,  and  proceed  as  one  from  the  Lord,  are  in 
a  certain  image  in  everything  created  by  Him :  now 
too  something  shall  be  said  in  particular  concerning 
that  one,  or  union,  which  is  called  the  marriage  of 
good  and  truth.  That  marriage  is,  L  In  the  Lord 
Himself;  for,  as  was  said,  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine 
Wisdom  are  one  in  Him.  II.  It  is  from  the  Lord,  for, 
in  everything  which  proceeds  from  Him,  love  and 
wisdom  are  entirely  united ;  these  two  proceed  from 
the  Lord  as  a  sun,  the  Divine  Love  as  heat,  and  the 
Divine  Wisdom  as  light.  III.  They  are  indeed  re- 
ceived by  the  angels  as  two,  but  are  united  in  them  by 
the  Lord:  the  like  happens  with  the  men  of  the  church, 
IV.  It  is  from  the  influx  of  love  and  wisdom  as  one 
from  the  Lord  with  the  angels  of  heaven  and  with 
the  men  of  the  church,  and  from  the  reception  of  them 


22  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

by  angels  and  men,  that  the  Lord  is  called  in  the 
Word  bridegroom  and  husband,  and  heaven  and  the 
church,  bride  and  wife.  V.  As  far  therefore  as  heaven 
and  the  church  in  general,  and  an  angel  of  heaven 
and  a  man  of  the  church  in  particular,  is  in  that  union, 
or  in  the  marriage  of  good  and  truth,  so  far  they  are 
an  image  and  likeness  of  the  Lord ;  since  these  two 
in  the  Lord  are  one,  yea,  are  the  Lord.  VI.  Love 
and  wisdom  in  heaven  and  the  church  in  general,  and 
in  an  angel  of  heaven  and  a  man  of  the  church,  are 
one,  when  the  will  and  the  understanding,  thus  when 
good  and  truth,  make  one  ;  or,  what  is  the  same,  when 
charity  and  faith  make  one ;  or,  what  is  still  the  same, 
when  doctrine  from  the  Word  and  a  life  according  to 
it  make  one.  VII.  But  how  these  two  make  one  in 
man  and  in  all  things  of  him,  was  shown  in  the  trea- 
tise concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom, 
in  part  fifth,  where  it  treats  concerning  the  creation  of 
man,  and  especially  concerning  the  correspondence  of 
the  will  and  the  understanding  with  the  heart  and 
lungs,  from  n.  385  to  432. 

9.  But  how  they  make  one  in  those  things  which 
are  below  or  out  of  man,  as  well  in  those  which  are 
in  the  animal  kingdom  as  in  the  vegetable  kingdom, 
will  be  said  in  what  follows  throughout;  to  which 
these  three  things  are  to  be  premised:  First,  That  in 
the  universe,  and  in  each  and  every  thing  of  it,  which 
were  created  by  the  Lord,  was  the  marriage  of  good 
and  truth:  S^;condl'¥,  That  that  marriage  after  crea- 
tion was  separated  with  man  :  Thirdly,  That  it  is  of 
the  Divine  Providence  that  what  was  separated  should 
be  made  one,  and  thus  that  the  marriage  of  good  and 
truth  should  be  restored.  These  three  were  confirmed 
by  many  things  in  the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine 
Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  wherefore  there  is  no  need 
to  confirm  them  farther  :  every  one  may  also  see  from 
reason,  that  while  the  marriage  of  good  and  truth  had 
been  from  creation  in  every  created  tiling,  and  while 
this  was  afterwards  separated,  the  Lord  operates  con- 
tinually that  it  should  be  restored ;  consequently,  that 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  23 

its  restoration,  and  thence  the  conjunction  of  the  cre- 
ated universe  with  the  Lord  through  man,  is  of  the 
Divine  Providence, 

10.  V.  That  the  good  of  love  is  not  good  any  far- 
ther than  as  it  is  imited  to  the  truth  of  wisdom^  and 
that  the  truth  of  wisdom  is  7iot  true  any  farther  than 
as  it  is  tmited  to  the  good  of  love.  Good  and  truth 
draw  this  from  their  origin :  good  in  its  origin  is  in 
the  Lord ;  in  hke  manner,  truth  ;  because  the  Lord  is 
good  itself  and  truth  itself,  and  these  two  in  Him  are 
one :  hence  it  is,  that  the  good  with  the  angels  of 
heaven  and  the  men  of  the  earth  is  not  good  in  itself, 
except  as  it  is  united  to  truth ;  and  that  the  truth  is 
not  truth  in  itself,  except  as  it  is  united  to  good.  That 
every  good  and  every  truth  is  from  the  Lord,  is  known : 
hence,  because  good  makes  one  with  truth,  and  truth 
with  good,  it  follows  that,  in  order  that  good  may  be 
good  in  itself,  and  truth  be  truth  in  itself,  they  should 
make  one  in  a  recipient,  who  is  an  angel  of  heaven 
and  a  man  of  the  earth. 

11.  It  is  indeed  known,  that  all  things  in  the  uni- 
verse have  relation  to  good  and  truth,  because  by 
good  is  understood  that  which  universally  compre- 
hends and  involves  all  things  of  love,  and  by  truth  is 
understood  that  which  universally  comprehends  and 
involves  all  things  of  wisdom;  but  it  is  not  as  yet 
known,  that  good  is  not  anything  unless  united  to 
truth,  and  that  truth  is  not  anything  unless  united 
to  good  :  it  appears  indeed  as  if  good  was  something 
without  truth,  and  that  truth  is  something  without 
good ;  but  still  they  are  not :  for  love,  all  things  of 
which  are  called  good,  is  the  being  of  a  thing;  and 
wisdom,  all  things  of  which  are  called  truths,  is  the 
existing  of  a  thing  from  that  being,  as  was  shown  in 
the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine 
Wisdom,  n.  14  to  16:  wherefore,  as  being  without 
existing  is  not  anything,  nor  existing  without  being; 
so  good  without  truth,  and  truth  without  good,  is  not 
anything.  In  like  manner,  what  is  good  without  rela- 
tion to  something 7  can  it  be  called  good?  for  it  is  of 


24  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

no  affection  and  of  no  perception  :  it,  together  with  the 
good  which  affects,  and  which  gives  itself  to  be  per- 
ceived and  to  be  felt,  has  relation  to  truth,  because  to 
that  which  is  in  the  understanding :  say  to  any  one 
nakedly  good,  and  not,  this  or  that  is  good ;  is  good 
anything?  but  from  this  or  that,  which  is  perceived 
as  one  with  good,  it  is  something  :  this  is  nowhere  else 
united  to  good  but  in  the  understanding,  and  every- 
thing of  the  understanding  has  relation  to  truth.  It 
is  the  like  with  willing;  willing,  without  knowing, 
perceiving  and  thinking  what  man  wills,  is  not  any- 
thing ;  but  together  with  these,  it  is  something  :  all 
willing  is  of  love,  and  has  relation  to  good ;  and  all 
knowing,  perceiving  and  thinking  is  of  the  understand- 
mg,  and  has  relation  to  truth :  hence  it  is  manifest, 
that  willing  is  not  anything,  but  that  willing  this  or 
that  is  something.  It  is  the  like  with  every  use, 
because  use  is  good :  use,  unless  it  be  determined  to 
something,  with  which  it  may  be  one,  is  not  use,  thus 
is  not  anything :  use  derives  its  something  from  the 
understanding,  and  that  which  is  thence  conjoined  or 
adjoined  to  use  has  relation  to  truth:  from  it  use 
derives  its  quality.  From  these  few  things  it  may  be 
evident  that  good  without  truth  is  not  anything,  thus 
that  neither  is  truth  without  good  anything.  It  is 
said  that  good  with  truth  and  truth  with  good  are 
something;  hence  it  follows,  that  evil  with  falsity 
and  falsity  with  evil  are  not  anything,  for  the  latter 
are  opposite  to  the  former ;  and  opposite  destroys, 
here  destroys  the  something :  but  this  subject  will  be 
treated  of  in  what  follows. 

12.  But  there  is  given  the  marriage  of  good  and 
truth  in  the  cause,  and  there  is  given  the  marriage  of 
good  and  truth  from  the  cause  in  the  effect :  the  mar- 
riage of  good  and  truth  in  the  cause,  is  the  marriage 
of  the  will  and  the  understanding,  or  of  love  and  wis- 
dom :  in  everything  which  man  wills  and  thinks,  and 
which  he  thence  concludes  and  intends,  is  this  mar- 
riage :  this  marriage  enters  the  effect  and  makes  it; 
but  in  effecting  they  appear  two  distinct  things,  because 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  25 

the  simultaneous  then  makes  the  successive  ;  as  when 
man  wills  and  thinks  to  be  fed,  clothed,  housed,  to  do 
business  or  work,  to  enjoy  society,  he  then  first  wills 
and  thinks  or  concludes  and  intends  it  at  the  same 
time;  but  when  he  has  determined  them  into  effects, 
then  one  succeeds  after  the  other ;  but  still,  in  will 
and  thought,  they  continually  make  one :  uses  in 
those  effects  are  of  love  or  good;  mediums  to  uses  are 
of  the  understanding  or  truth.  These  generals  each 
one  may  confirm  by  particulars,  provided  he  distinctly 
perceives  what  has  relation  to  the  good  of  love  and 
what  to  the  truth  of  wisdom ;  and  distinctly  how  it 
has  relation  in  the  cause,  and  how  in  the  effect. 

13.  It  has  many  times  been  said,  that  love  makes 
the  life  of  man;  but  it  is  not  meant  love  separate  from 
wisdom,  or  good  from  truth  in  the  cause;  because  love 
separate  or  good  separate  is  not  anything;  wherefore 
the  love  which  makes  the  inmost  life  of  man,  which 
is  from  the  Ijord,  is  love  and  wisdom  together :  also 
the  love  which  makes  the  life  of  man  as  far  as  he  is  a 
recipient,  is  not  love  separate  in  the  cause,  but  in 
the  effect ;  for  love  cannot  be  understood  without  its 
quality,  and  its  quality  is  wisdom  :  quality  or  wis- 
dom cannot  be  given  but  from  its  being,  which  is  love ; 
hence  it  is,  that  they  are  one  :  in  like  manner  good 
and  truth.  Now  because  truth  is  from  good,  as  wis- 
dom is  from  love,  therefore  both  taken  together  are 
called  love  or  good;  for  love  in  its  form  is  wisdom, 
and  good  in  its  form  is  truth  :  from  form,  and  from 
nothing  else,  is  all  quality.  From  these  things  it  may 
now  be  evident,  that  good  is  not  good  a  whit  farther 
than  as  it  is  united  to  its  truth,  and  that  truth  is  not 
truth  a  whit  farther  than  as  it  is  united  to  its  good. 

14.  VI.  That  the  good  of  love  not  united  to  the  truth 
of  wisdom,  is  not  good  in  itself,  hnt  that  it  is  apparent 
good;  and  that  the  truth  of  tinsdom.  not  tinited  to  the 
good  of  love  is  not  truth  in  itself,  but  that  it  is  apparent 
truth.  The  truth  is,  that  not  any  good  is  given  which 
is  good  in  itself,  unless  it  is  united  to  its  truth;  nor 
any  truth  which  is  truth  in  itself,  unless  it  is  united 

3 


26  ANGELIO    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

to  its  good :  but  yet  there  is  given  good  separate  from 
truth,  and  truth  separate  from  good  :  this  is  given  with 
hypocrites  and  flatterers,  with  whatever  ones  are  evil, 
and  with  those  who  are  in  natural  good  and  in  no 
spiritual  good :  the  former  and  the  latter  can  do  good 
to  the  church,  to  the  country,  to  society,  to  a  fellow- 
citizen,  to  the  needy,  to  the  poor,  to  widows  and  to 
orphans ;  and  they  can  also  understand  truths,  from 
understanding  think  them,  and  from  thought  speak 
and  teach  them ;  but  yet  these  goods  and  truths  are 
not  interiorly,  thus  not  in  themselves,  goods  and  truths 
with  them;  but  are  exteriorly  goods  and  truths,  thus 
only  appearances ;  for  they  are  only  for  the  sake  of 
themselves  and  the  world,  and  not  for  the  sake  of 
good  itself  and  truth  itself,  consequently  not  from  good 
and  truth ;  wherefore  they  are  of  the  mouth  and  body 
only,  and  not  of  the  heart;  and  may  be  compared 
to  gold  and  silver  overlaid  upon  drosses,  or  upon 
rotten  wood,  or  upon  dung;  and  the  truths  when 
uttered  may  be  compared  to  a  puff  of  breath  which  is 
dissipated,  or  to  a  fatuous  light  which  vanishes;  which 
still  appear  outwardly  as  genuine :  but  they  appear 
such  with  them,  yet  may  still  appear  otherwise  with 
those  hearing  and  receiving,  who  do  not  know  this; 
for  the  external  affects  every  one  according  to  his 
internal ;  for  truth,  from  whatever  mouth  it  is  uttered, 
enters  into  the  hearing  of  another,  and  is  received  by 
the  mind  according  to  his  state  and  quality.  With 
those  who  are  in  natural  good  hereditarily,  and  in  no 
spiritual  good,  the  thing  is  nearly  the  same  ;  for  the 
internal  of  every  good  and  every  truth  is  spiritual,  and 
this  dispels  evils  and  falsities,  but  the  natural  alone 
favors  them ;  and  to  favor  evils  and  falsities,  and  to 
do  good,  does  not  agree. 

15.  That  good  can  be  separated  from  truth  and 
truth  from  good,  and  when  it  is  separated,  still  appears 
as  good  and  truth,  is  because  man  has  ihe  faculty  of 
acting,  which  is  called  liberty,  and  the  faculty  of  un- 
derstanding, which  is  called  rationality :  from  the 
abuse  of  these  faculties  it  is,  that  a  man  can  appear 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  27 

in  externals  other  than  as  he  is  in  internals;  and  on 
this  account  that  an  evil  one  can  do  good  and  speak 
truth,  or  that  a  devil  can  counterfeit  an  angel  of  light. 
But  on  this  subject,  the  following  may  be  seen  in  the 
treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wis- 
dom :  That  the  origin  of  evil  is  from  the  abuse  of  the 
faculties  which  are  proper  to  man,  and  are  called 
rationality  and  liberty,  n.  264  to  270.  That  these  two 
faculties  are  with  the  evil  as  well  as  with  the  good, 
n.  425.  That  love  without  a  marriage  with  wisdom, 
or  good  without  a  marriage  with  truth,  cannot  do 
anything,  n.  401.  That  love  does  nothing,  except  in 
conjunction  with  wisdom  or  the  understanding,  n.  409. 
That  love  conjoins  itself  to  wisdom  or  to  the  under- 
standing, and  causes  that  wisdom  or  the  understand- 
ing should  be  reciprocally  conjoined,  n.  410,  411,  412. 
That  wisdom  or  the  understanding,  from  the  power 
given  to  it  by  love,  can  be  elevated,  and  perceive  the 
things  which  are  of  light  from  heaven,  and  receive 
them,  n.  413.  That  love  can  be  similarly  elevated, 
and  receive  the  things  which  are  of  heat  from  heaven, 
if  it  loves  its  spouse  wisdom  in  that  degree,  n.  414,  415. 
That  otherwise  love  draws  back  wisdom  or  the  under- 
standing from  its  elevation,  that  it  may  act  as  one 
with  itself,  n.  416  to  418.  That  love  is  purified  in  the 
understanding,  if  they  are  elevated  together,  n.  419 
to  421.  That  love  purified  by  wisdom  in  the  un- 
derstanding becomes  spiritual  and  celestial,  but  that 
love  defiled  in  the  understanding  becomes  sensual  and 
corporeal,  n.  422  to  424.  That  it  is  the  like  with 
charity  and  faith  and  their  conjunction,  as  it  is  with 
love  and  wisdom  and  their  conjunction,  n.  427  to  430. 
What  charity  in  the  heavens  is,  n.  431. 

16.  VII.  That  the  Lord  does  not  suffer  that  any- 
thing should  be  divided^  icherefore  it  must  either  be  in 
good  and  at  the  same  time  in  truth^  or  it  must  be  in  evil 
arid  at  the  same  time  in  falsity.  The  Divine  Pro- 
vidence of  the  Lord  especially  has  for  end  and  operates, 
that  man  should  be  in  good  and  at  the  same  time  in 
truth ;  for  thus  he  is  his  own  good  or  his  own  love, 


28  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

and  also  his  own  truth  and  his  own  wisdom;  for 
thereby  man  is  man,  for  he  is  then  an  image  of  the 
Lord:  but  because  man,  while  he  lives  in  the  world, 
can  be  in  good  and  at  the  same  time  in  the  false,  also 
in  evil  and  at  the  same  time  in  truth,  yea,  be  in  evil 
and  at  the  same  time  in  good,  thus  as  it  were  double, 
and  this  division  destroys  that  image,  and  thus  man ; 
therefore  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  has  in 
view,  in  each  and  all  things  of  it,  that  this  division 
may  not  be :  and  because  it  is  more  conducive  to  man 
that  he  should  be  in  evil  and  at  the  same  time  in  fal- 
sity than  that  he  should  be  in  good  and  at  the  same 
time  in  evil,  therefore  the  Lord  permits  it,  not  as  wil- 
ling, but  as  not  being  able  to  resist,  for  the  sake  of  the 
end,  which  is  salvation.  The  reason  that  man  can  be 
in  evil  and  at  the  same  time  in  truth,  and  that  the  Lord 
cannot  resist  for  the  sake  of  the  end  which  is  salvation, 
is  because  man's  understanding  can  be  elevated  into 
the  light  of  wisdom,  and  see  truths,  or  acknowledge 
them  when  he  hears  them,  his  love  remaining  below; 
for  thus  man  can  in  understanding  be  in  heaven,  but 
in  love  in  hell ;  and  to  be  such,  cannot  be  denied  to 
man,  because  from  him  cannot  be  taken  away  the 
two  faculties  by  which  he  is  man,  and  is  distinguished 
from  the  beasts,  and  by  which  alone  he  can  be  re- 
generated and  thus  saved,  which  are  rationality  and 
liberty;  for  by  them  man  can  act  according  to  wis- 
dom, and  also  act  according  to  a  love  not  of  wisdom, 
and  can  from  wisdom  above  see  love  beneath ;  so  too 
the  thoughts,  intentions,  affections,  thus  the  evils  and 
falsities,  also  the  goods  and  truths  of  his  life  and  doc- 
trine, without  the  knowledge  and  acknowledgment 
of  which  in  himself,  he  cannot  be  reformed.  Con- 
cerning these  two  faculties  it  was  spoken  above,  and 
in  the  following,  more  will  be  said.  This  is  the  cause 
that  man  can  be  in  good  and  at  the  same  time  in 
truth,  also  in  evil  and  at  the  same  time  in  falsity,  and 
also  in  them  alternately. 

17.    Into  the  one  or  the  other  conjunction  or  union, 
that  is,  of  good  and  truth,  or  of  evil  and  falsity,  man 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  29 

can  hardly  come  in  the  world ;  for  as  long  as  he  lives 
there,  he  is  held  in  a  state  of  reformation  or  regenera- 
tion; but  into  one  or  the  other  every  man  comes  after 
death,  because  he  then  can  no  longer  be  reformed  and 
regenerated :  he  then  remains  as  his  life  in  the  world, 
that  is,  as  his  reigning  love  had  been  ;  wherefore,  if 
a  life  of  the  love  of  evil  had  been  his,  every  truth 
which  he  had  procured  to  himself  in  the  world  from 
a  master,  from  preaching,  or  from  the  Word,  is  taken 
away;  which  being  taken  away,  he  imbibes  the  falsity 
agreeing  with  his  evil,  as  a  sponge  does  water ;  and 
the  reverse :  but  if  a  life  of  the  love  of  good  had  been 
his,  every  falsity  which  he  iiad  got  in  the  world  by 
hearing  or  reading,  and  had  not  confirmed  with  him- 
self, is  removed,  and  in  its  place  is  given  the  truth 
which  agrees  with  his  good.  This  is  understood  by 
these  words  of  the  Lord  :  "  Take  from  him  the  taleiU, 
and  give  to  him,  that  hath  ten  talents ;  for  to  every  one 
that  hath  it  shall  be  given,  that  he  may  abound;  but 
from,  him  who  hath  not,  even  what  he  hath  shall  be 
taken  away.''  Matt.  xxv.  28,  29;  xiii.  12;  Mark  iv. 
25  ;  Luke  viii.  18  ;  xix.  24  to  26. 

18.  That  every  one  after  death  must  either  be  in 
good,  and  at  the  same  time  in  truth,  or  in  evil,  and  at 
the  same  time  in  falsity,  is  because  good  and  evil 
cannot  be  conjoined,  nor  good  and  at  the  same  time 
the  falsity  of  evil,  nor  evil  and  at  the  same  time  the 
truth  of  good  ;  for  they  are  opposites,  and  opposites 
fight  between  themselves,  until  one  destroys  the  other. 
They  who  are  in  evil  and  at  the  same  time  in  good, 
are  understood  by  these  words  of  the  Lord  to  the 
church  of  the  Laodiceans  in  the  Apocalypse  :  '■'■  I  know 
thy  works,  that  thou  art  neither  cold  nor  hot ;  O  that 
thou  wert  cold  or  hot :  but  because  thou  art  lukeuarm,, 
and  neither  cold  nor  hot,  I  will  spew  thee  out  of  my 
mouth,"  iii.  15,  16:  also  by  these  words  of  the  Lord: 
"  No  one  can  serve  two  lords,  for  either  he  unll  have  the 
one  in  hatred  and  love  the  other,  or  urill  adhere  to  the 
one  and  neglect  the  other.'"     Matt.  vi.  24. 

19.  VIll.    That  that  which  is  in  good,  and  at  the 

3# 


30  ANGELIC    WISDOIVI    CONCERNING 

same  time  in  truth^  is  somethings  and  that  that  which 
is  in  evil,  and  at  the  same  time  in  falsity,  is  Jiot  any- 
thing.  That  that  which  is  in  good,  and  at  the  same 
time  in  truth,  is  something,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  11 ; 
hence  it  follows,  that  evil,  and  at  the  same  time 
falsity,  is  not  anything.  By  not  being  anything,  is 
understood  that  it  has  nothing  of  power  and  nothing 
of  spiritual  life :  they  who  are  in  evil,  and  at  the 
same  time  in  falsity,  who  are  all  in  hell,  have  power 
indeed  among  themselves;  for  an  evil  one  can  do 
evil,  and  also  does  evil  in  a  thousand  ways;  but  yet 
he  cannot  from  evil  do  evil,  except  to  the  evil,  but 
cannot  do  a  whit  of  evil  to  the  good ;  and  if  he  does 
evil  to  the  good,  which  is  sometimes  done,  it  is  by 
conjunction  with  their  evil :  from  this  are  temptations, 
which  are  infestations  by  the  evil  with  them,  and 
thence  combats,  by  means  of  which  the  good  can  be 
liberated  from  their  evils.  Since  the  evil  have  nothing 
of  power,  therefore  the  universal  hell  before  the  Lord 
is  not  only  in  a  manner  as  nothing,  but  is  altogether 
nothing  as  to  power :  that  it  is  so,  I  ha\^e  seen  con- 
firmed by  much  experience.  But  this  is  wonderful, 
that  all  the  evil  believe  themselves  powerful,  and  that 
all  the  good  believe  themselves  not  powerful :  the 
reason  is,  because  the  evil  attribute  all  things  to  one's 
own  power,  and  thus  to  craft  and  malice,  and  nothing 
to  the  Lord ;  but  the  good  attribute  nothing  to  one's 
own  prudence,  but  all  things  to  the  Lord,  who  is 
omnipotent.  That  evil,  and  at  the  same  time  falsity, 
are  not  anything,  is  also  because  they  have  nothing 
of  spiritual  life ;  which  is  the  cause  that  the  life  of 
the  infernals  is  not  called  life,  but  death;  wherefore, 
since  every  something  is  of  life,  there  cannot  be  any 
something  to  death. 

20.  They  who  are  in  evil  and  at  the  same  time  in 
truths,  may  be  compared  to  eagles  that  fly  high; 
which,  when  their  wings  are  taken  aAvay,  fall  down  : 
for  in  like  manner  do  men  after  death,  when  they 
have  become  spirits,  who  have  understood  truths, 
spoken  them,  and  taught  them,  and  yet  have  in  no- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  31 

thing  looked  to  God  in  their  life  :  by  their  intellectuals 
they  elevate  themselves  on  high,  and  sometimes  enter 
heaven,  and  counterfeit  angels  of  light ;  but  when  the 
truths  are  taken  away  from  them,  and  they  are  sent 
out,  they  fall  down  into  hell.  Eagles  also  signify  men 
of  rapine,  who  have  intellectual  sight;  and  wings  sig- 
nify spiritual  truths.  It  was  said  that  they  are  such 
who  have  in  nothing  looked  to  God  in  their  life :  by 
looking  to  God  in  the  life,  nothing  else  is  understood, 
but  thinking  this  or  that  evil  to  be  sin  against  God, 
and  therefore  not  doing  it. 

21.  IX.  That  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord 
causes  that  evil  and  at  the  same  time  falsity  may  serve 
for  equilibrium.,  for  relation,  a7id  for  purification,  and 
thus  for  the  conjunction  of  good  and  truth  in  others. 
From  the  foregoing  it  may  be  evident,  that  the  Divine 
Providence  of  the  Lord  operates  continually  that  with 
man  good  may  be  united  to  truth  and  truth  to  good,  for 
the  reason  that  that  union  is  the  church  and  is  hea- 
ven ;  for  that  union  is  in  the  Lord,  and  is  in  all  things 
which  proceed  from  the  Lord :  from  that  union  it 
is  that  heaven  is  called  a  marriage,  and  also  the 
church ;  wherefore  the  kingdom  of  God  in  the  Word  is 
likened  to  a  marriage :  from  that  union  it  is  that  the 
Sabbath  in  the  Israelitish  church  was  the  holiest  thing 
of  worship ;  for  it  signified  that  union  :  hence  also  it 
is,  that  in  the  Word,  and  in  each  and  every  thing  of  it, 
there  is  a  marriage  of  good  and  truth  ;  concerning 
which  may  be  seen  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,  n.  80  to  90 :  the 
marriage  of  good  and  truth  is  from  the  marriage  of  the 
Lord  with  the  church,  and  this  from  the  marriage  of 
love  and  wisdom  in  the  Lord ;  for  good  is  of  love  and 
truth  is  of  wisdom.  From  these  things  it  may  be 
seen,  that  it  is  the  perpetual  object  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence to  unite  good  to  truth  and  truth  to  good  with 
man,  for  thus  man  is  united  to  the  Lord. 

22.  But  because  many  have  broken  and  do  break 
this  marriage,  especially  by  the  separation  of  faith 
from  charity  ;  for  faith  is  of  truth  and  truth  is  of  faith. 


32  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

and  charity  is  of  good  and  good  is  of  charity ;  and 
thereby  conjoin  evil  and  falsity  in  themselves,  and 
thus  have  become  and  do  become  opposed  ;  yet  it  is 
provided  by  the  Lord,  that  these  may  still  serve  for 
the  conjunction  of  good  and  truth  in  others,  by  means 
of  equilibrium,  relation,  and  purification. 

23.  The  conjunction  of  good  and  truth  in  others  is 
provided  by  the  Lord  by  means  of  Equilibrium  between 
heaven  and  hell;  for  from  hell  is  continually  exhaled 
evil  and  at  the  same  time  falsity ;  but  from  heaven 
is  continually  exhaled  good  and  at  the  same  time 
truth  :  in  this  equilibrium  every  man  is  held,  as  long 
as  he  lives  in  the  world;  and  thereby  in  the  liberty 
of  thinking,  willing,  speaking  and  doing,  in  which  he 
can  be  reformed.  Concerning  this  spiritual  equili- 
brium, from  which  man  has  freedom,  it  may  be  seen 
in  the  work  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  n.  589  to 
596,  and  597  to  603. 

24.  The  conjunction  of  good  and  truth  is  provided 
by  the  Lord  by  means  of  Relation;  for  good  is  not 
known,  what  it  is,  except  by  relation  to  a  less  good, 
and  by  opposition  to  evil :  all  the  perceptive  and  sen- 
sitive is  from  thence,  because  the  quality  of  them  is 
from  thence ;  for  thus  all  delight  is  perceived  and  felt 
from  the  less  delightful  and  by  means  of  the  undelight- 
ful;  all  the  beautiful  from  the  less  beautiful  and  by 
means  of  the  unbeautiful ;  in  like  manner  all  good 
which  is  of  love  from  the  less  good  and  by  means  of 
evil,  and  all  truth  which  is  of  wisdom  from  the  less 
true  and  by  means  of  falsity  :  there  must  be  variety  in 
everything,  from  its  greatest  to  its  least;  and  since  the 
variety  is  also  in  its  opposite  from  the  least  to  the 
greatest,  and  equilibrium  intervenes,  then  there  arises 
a  relative  according  to  degrees  on  both  sides,  and  the 
perception  and  sensation  of  the  thing  either  increases 
or  is  diminished.  But  it  is  to  be  known,  that  the 
opposite  takes  away  and  also  exalts  perceptions  and 
sensations :  it  takes  away  when  it  commingles  itself, 
and  it  exalts  when  it  does  not  commingle  itself;  on 
which  account  the  Lord  exquisitely  separates  good 


THE    DITINE    PROVIDENCE.  33 

and  evil  with  man,  lest  they  should  be  commingled,  as 
He  separates  heaven  and  hell. 

25.  The  conjunction  of  good  and  truth  with  others 
is  provided  by  the  Lord  by  means  of  Purification, 
which  is  done  in  two  ways,  one  by  means  of  tempta- 
tions and  the  other  by  means  of  fermentations.  iSpir- 
itual  temptations  are  nothing  else  but  combats  against 
evils  and  falsities,  which  are  exhaled  from  hell,  and 
affect :  by  means  of  tliem  man  is  purified  from  evils 
and  falsities,  and  good  is  conjoined  to  truth  and  truth 
to  good  with  him.  Spiritual  fermentations  take  place 
in  many  ways,  as  well  in  the  heavens  as  in  the  earths ; 
but  they  are  not  known  in  the  world,  what  they  are, 
and  how  they  take  place ;  for  there  are  evils  and  at 
the  same  time  falsities,  which  being  let  into  societies  do 
the  like  as  ferments  put  into  meal  and  new  wine,  by 
means  of  which  heterogeneous  things  are  separated, 
and  the  homogeneous  things  are  conjoined,  and  it 
becomes  pure  and  clear :  these  things  are  what  are 
understood  by  these  words  of  the  Lord:  "  The  king- 
dom of  the  heavens  is  like  leaven  [fenjient,]  which  a 
woman  taking'  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  until  the 
u-hole  ivas  leavened  \fermented.'\''  Matt.  xiii.  33,  Luke 
xiii.  21. 

26.  These  uses  are  provided  by  the  Lord  from  the 
conjunction  of  evil  and  the  false,  which  is  with  those 
who  are  in  hell ;  for  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord,  which 
is  not  only  over  heaven,  but  also  over  hell,  is  a  king- 
dom of  uses ;  and  the  Providence  of  the  Lord  is,  that 
there  should  not  be  any  one  or  anything  there,  by 
which  and  through  which  use  is  not  done. 


THAT  THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE    OF   THE    LORD    HAS    FOR  END 
A  HEAVEN  FROM  THE  HUMAN  RACE. 

27.  That  heaven  is  not  from  any  angels  created 
from  the  beginning,  and  that  hell  is  not  from  any 
devil  who  was  created  an  angel  of  light  and  cast  down 
from  heaven,  but  that  both  heaven  and  hell  are  from 


34  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

the  human  race,  heaven  from  those  who  are  in  the 
love  of  good  and  thence  in  the  understanding  of 
truth,  and  hell  from  those  who  are  in  the  love  of  evil 
and  thence  in  the  understanding  of  falsity,  has  been 
made  known  and  attested  to  me  by  long-continued 
intercourse  with  angels  and  spirits;  concerning  which 
thing  also  may  be  seen  the  things  which  are  shown  in 
the  work  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  n.  311  to  316; 
also  those  in  the  small  work  concerning  the  Last 
Judgment,  n.  14  to  27;  and  in  the  Continuation  con- 
cerning THE  Last  Judgment  and  concerning  the  Spir- 
itual World,  from  beginning  to  end.  Now  because 
heaven  is  from  the  human  race,  and  heaven  is  dwell- 
ing with  the  Lord  to  eternity,  it  follows  that  the  Lord 
had  this  as  the  end  of  creation ;  and  because  it  was 
the  end  of  creation,  it  is  the  end  of  His  Divine  Provi- 
dence :  the  Lord  did  not  create  the  universe  for  His 
own  sake,  but  for  the  sake  of  those  with  whom  He  will 
be  in  heaven ;  for  spiritual  love  is  such,  that  it  wishes 
to  give  its  own  to  another;  and  as  far  as  it  can  do 
this,  it  is  in  its  being,  in  its  peace,  and  in  its  blessed- 
ness :  spiritual  love  derives  this  from  the  Divine  Love 
of  the  Lord,  which  is  infinitely  such;  from  hence  it 
follows  that  the  Divine  Love,  and  hence  the  Divine 
Providence,  has  for  its  end  a  heaven,  which  may  con- 
sist of  men  made  angels,  and  who  are  becoming  angels; 
to  whom  He  can  give  all  the  blessed  and  happy  things 
which  are  of  love  and  wisdom,  and  give  them  from 
Himself  in  them  :  nor  can  He  do  otherwise,  because 
the  image  and  likeness  of  Him  is  in  them  from  crea- 
tion ;  the  image  in  them  is  wisdom,  and  the  likeness 
in  them  is  love,  and  the  Lord  in  them  is  love  united 
to  wisdom  and  wisdom  united  to  love ;  or,  what  is 
the  same,  is  good  united  to  truth  and  truth  united  to 
good ;  which  union  is  treated  of  in  the  preceding 
article.  But  because  it  is  not  known  what  heaven  is 
in  general  or  with  many,  and  what  heaven  is  in  par- 
ticular or  with  any  one,  also  what  heaven  is  in  the 
spiritual  world  and  what  heaven  is  in  the  natural 
world,  and  yet  it  is  important  to  know  this,  because 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  35 

it  is  the  end  of  the  Divine  Providence,  I  wish  to  set  it 
in  some  light,  in  this  order.  I.  That  heaven  is  con- 
junction with  the  Lord.  II.  That  man  from  creation 
is  such,  that  he  can  be  more  and  more  nearly  conjoined 
to  the  Lord.  III.  That  the  more  nearly  man  is  con- 
joined to  the  Lord,  the  wiser  he  becomes.  IV.  That 
the  more  nearly  man  is  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  the 
happier  he  becomes.  V.  That  the  more  nearly  man 
is  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  the  more  distinctly  he  appears 
to  himself  that  he  is  his  own,  and  the  more  evidently 
he  takes  notice  that  he  is  the  Lord's. 

28.  I.  That  heaven  is  cotynnction  with  the  Lor^d. 
Heaven  is  not  heaven  from  the  angels,  but  from  the 
Lord ;  for  the  love  and  wisdom  in  which  the  angels 
are,  and  which  make  heaven,  are  not  from  them,  but 
from  the  Lord ;  yea,  are  the  Lord  in  them :  and 
because  love  and  wisdom  are  the  Lord's,  and  are  the 
Lord  therein,  and  love  and  wisdom  make  their  life,  it 
is  also  manifest  that  their  life  is  the  Lord's,  yea,  the 
Lord :  that  they  live  from  the  Lord,  the  angels  them- 
selves confess;  hence  it  may  be  evident,  that  heaven 
is  conjunction  with  the  Lord.  Yet  because  there  is 
given  various  conjunction  with  the  Lord,  and  hence 
one  has  not  the  like  heaven  as  another,  it  also  follows, 
that  heaven  is  according  to  conjunction  with  the  Lord  : 
that  conjunction  is  more  and  more  near,  also  more 
and  more  remote,  will  be  seen  in  the  following  article. 
Something  shall  here  be  said  concerning  that  conjunc- 
tion, how  it  takes  place,  and  what  it  is :  there  is  con- 
junction of  the  Lord  with  the  angels,  and  of  the  angels 
with  the  Lord,  thus  reciprocal :  the  Lord  flows  into 
the  life's  love  of  the  angels,  and  the  angels  receive  the 
Lord  in  wisdom,  and  by  this  in  turn  conjoin  them- 
selves to  the  Lord.  But  it  is  to  be  well  known,  that 
it  appears  to  the  angels  as  if  they  conjoin  themselves 
to  the  Lord  by  wisdom,  but  still  the  Lord  conjoins 
them  to  Himself  by  wisdom ;  for  their  wisdom  is  also 
from  the  Lord  :  it  is  the  like,  if  it  is  said  that  the  Lord 
conjoins  Himself  to  the  angels  by  good,  and  that  the 
angels  in  turn  conjoin  themselves  to  the  Lord  by  truth  j 


36  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

for  all  good  is  of  love,  and  all  truth  is  of  Avisdom. 
But  because  this  reciprocal  conjunction  is  an  arcanum 
which  few  can  understand  unless  it  is  explained,  I 
will  unfold  it,  as  far  as  it  can  be  done,  by  such  things 
as  are  adequate  to  comprehension  :  In  the  treatise  con- 
cerning the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  404, 
405,  it  was  shown  how  love  conjoins  itself  to  wisdom  ; 
namely,  by  the  affection  of  knowing  from  which  is 
the  affection  of  truth,  and  by  the  affection  of  under- 
standing from  which  is  the  perception  of  truth,  and 
by  the  affection  of  seeing  that  which  is  known  and 
understood  from  which  is  thought :  the  Lord  flows 
into  all  these  affections,  for  they  are  derivations  from 
the  life's  love  of  every  one,  and  the  angels  receive  that 
influx  in  the  perception  of  truth,  and  in  thought ;  for 
in  these  the  influx  appears  to  them,  but  not  in  the 
affections :  now  because  perceptions  and  thoughts 
appear  to  the  angels  as  if  they  were  theirs,  when  yet 
they  are  from  affections,  which  are  from  the  Lord, 
therefore  that  appearance  is,  that  the  angels  conjoin 
themselves  reciprocally  to  the  Lord,  when  yet  the  Lord 
conjoins  them  to  Himself;  for  affection  itself  produces 
those  [perceptions  and  thoughts,]  for  affection  which 
is  of  love  is  the  soul  of  them ;  for  no  one  can  perceive 
and  think  anything  without  affection,  and  every  one 
perceives  and  thinks  according  to  affection  :  from  these 
things  it  is  manifest  that  the  reciprocal  conjunction  of 
the  angels  with  the  Lord  is  not  from  them,  but  as  from 
them.  Such  too  is  the  conjunction  of  the  I^ord  with 
the  church  and  of  the  church  with  the  Lord,  which  is 
called  the  celestial  and  spiritual  marriage. 

29.  All  conjunction  in  the  spiritual  world  is  done 
by  looking :  when  any  one  there  thinks  concerning 
another  from  an  affection  of  speaking  with  him,  the 
other  becomes  present  on  the  spot;  and  one  sees 
the  other  face  to  face:  the  like  is  done  when  any 
one  thinks  concerning  another  from  an  affection  of 
love;  but  by  this  affection,  conjanction  takes  place, 
but  only  presence  takes  place  by  the  other :  this  is 
peculiar  to  the  spiritual  world  :  the  reason  is,  because 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  37 

all  there  are  spiritual ;  it  is  otherwise  in  the  natural 
world,  in  which  all  are  material :  in  the  natural  world 
the  like  takes  place  with  men  in  the  affections  and 
thoughts  of  their  spirit;  but  because  in  the  natural 
world  there  are  spaces,  but  in  the  spiritual  world 
spaces  are  only  appearances,  therefore  in  the  latter 
world  that  takes  place  actually  which  takes  place  in 
the  thought  of  any  spirit.  These  things  are  said,  that 
it  may  be  known  how  the  conjunction  of  the  Lord 
with  the  angels  takes  place,  and  the  apparent  recip- 
rocal [conjunction]  of  the  angels  with  the  Lord ;  for 
all  the  angels  turn  the  face  to  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord 
looks  at  them  in  the  forehead,  and  the  angels  look  at 
the  Lord  with  the  eyes ;  the  reason  is,  because  the 
forehead  corresponds  to  love  and  its  affections,  and 
the  eyes  correspond  to  wisdom  and  its  perceptions : 
yet  still  the  angels  do  not  of  themselves  turn  the  face 
to  the  Lord,  but  the  Lord  turns  them  to  Himself,  and 
turns  them  by  influx  into  their  life's  love,  and  by  it 
enters  into  the  perceptions  and  thoughts,  and  thus 
turns  them  round.  There  is  such  a  circle  of  love  to 
the  thoughts,  and  from  the  thoughts  to  love  from  love, 
in  all  things  of  the  human  mind ;  Avhich  circle  may  be 
called  the  circle  of  life.  Concerning  these,  some 
things  may  also  be  seen  in  the  treatise  concerning  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  as.  That  the  angels 
constantly  turn  their  face  to  the  Lord,  as  a  sun,  n. 
129  to  134.  That  all  the  interiors,  as  well  of  the 
mind  as  of  the  body  of  the  angels,  are  in  like  manner 
turned  to  the  Lord  as  a  sun,  n.  135  to  139.  That 
every  spirit,  whatever  he  may  be,  in  like  manner 
turns  himself  to  his  reigning  love,  n.  140  to  14-5. 
That  love  conjoins  itself  to  wisdom,  and  causes  that 
wisdom  should  be  reciprocally  conjoined,  n.  410  to 
412.  That  the  angels  are  in  the  Lord,  and  that  the 
Lord  is  in  them;  and  that,  because  the  angels  are 
recipients,  the  Lord  alone  is  heaven,  n.  113  to  118. 

30.    The   Lord's   heaven  in    the  natural   world    is 
called  the  church,  and  an  angel  of  this  heaven  is  a 
man  of  the  church  who  is  conjoined  to  the  Lord ;  he 
4 


38  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

also,  after  his  departure  from  tlie  world,  becomes  an 
angel  of  the  spiritual  heaven  :  from  which  it  is  mani- 
fest, that  the  like  to  wliat  is  said  concerning  the  angelic 
heaven  is  to  be  nnderstood  concerning  the  human 
heaven,  which  is  called  the  church.  The  reciprocal 
conjunction  with  the  Lord,  which  makes  heaven  with 
man,  is  revealed  by  the  Lord  in  these  words  in  John  : 
^^  Remain  in  me,  also  I  in  you;  he  ivho  I'emaineth  in 
me,  and  I  in  him,  beareth  much  fruit ;  because  without 
me  ye  cannot  do  anything^''  xv.  4,  5,  7. 

3L  From  these  things  it  may  be  evident,  that  the 
Lord  is  heaven,  not  only  with  all  there  in  general,  but 
also  with  every  one  there  in  particular;  for  every 
angel  is  a  heaven  in  the  least  form :  from  so  many 
heavens  as  there  are  angels,  is  heaven  in  general : 
that  it  is  so,  may  be  seen  in  the  work  concerning 
Heaven  and  Hell,  n.  51  to  58.  Since  it  is  so,  let  not 
any  one  cherish  this  error,  which  falls  into  the  first 
thought  Math  many,  that  the  Lord  is  in  heaven  among 
the  angels,  or  that  he  is  with  them  as  a  king  is  in  his 
kingdom :  he  is  above  them  as  to  aspect,  in  the  sun 
there  ;  but  in  them  as  to  the  life  of  their  love  and 
wisdom. 

32.  II.  That  man  from^  creation  is  such,  that  he 
can  be  m,ore  and  m^ore  nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord, 
may  be  evident  from  the  things  which  were  shown  in 
the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine 
Wisdom,  in  part  third,  concerning  degrees ;  in  par- 
ticular from  these  things  there :  That  there  are  three 
discrete  degrees,  or  degrees  of  altitude,  in  man  from 
creation,  n.  230  to  235.  That  these  three  degrees  are 
in  every  man  by  birth  ;  and  that  as  they  are  opened, 
man  is  in  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  in  him,  n.  236  to 
241.  And  that  all  perfections  increase  and  ascend 
with  degrees,  and  according  to  them,  n.  199  to  204: 
from  which  it  is  manifest,  that  man  is  such  from 
creation,  that  by  means  of  degrees  he  can  be  more  and 
more  nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord.  But  it  is  by  all 
means  to  be  known,  what  degrees  are,  and  that  they 
are  of  a  double  kind,  degrees  discrete  or  of  altitude, 


THE    DIVIN'K    PKOViDKN'CE.  39 

and  degrees  continuous  or  of  latitude,  and  what  their 
difference  is ;  also  that  every  man  from  creation,  and 
thence  from  birth,  has  the  three  discrete  degrees,  or 
those  of  ahitude ;  and  that  man  comes  into  the  first 
degree,  which  is  called  natural,  when  he  is  born,  and 
that  he  may  increase  this  degree  with  himself  by  con- 
tinuity, even  till  it  becomes  rational;  and  that  he 
comes  into  the  second  degree,  which  is  called  spirit- 
ual, if  he  lives  according  to  the  spiritual  laws  of  order, 
which  are  divine  truths;  and  that  he  may  also  come 
into  the  third  degree,  which  is  called  celestial,  if  he 
lives  according  to  the  celestial  laws  of  order,  which 
are  divine  goods.  These  degrees  are  actually  opened 
with  man  by  the  Lord  according  to  his  life  in  the 
world,  but  not  perceptibly  and  sensibly  till  after  his 
departure  out  of  the  world ;  and  as  they  are  opened 
and  afterwards  perfected,  so  man  is  more  and  more 
nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord.  This  conjunction  may 
be  increased  to  eternity  by  approach,  and  also  is  in- 
creased to  eternity  with  the  angels ;  but  still,  an  angel 
cannot  arrive  at  the  first  degree  of  the  love  and  wis- 
dom of  the  Lord,  or  touch  it ;  because  the  Lord  is 
infinite,  and  an  angel  is  finite,  and  no  ratio  of  infinite 
and  finite  is  given.  Since  no  one  can  understand  the 
state  of  man,  and  the  state  of  his  elevation  and  ap- 
proximation to  the  Lord,  unless  he  knows  these 
degrees,  therefore  these  degrees  were  particularly 
treated  of  in  the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love 
AND  Divine  Wisdom,  from  n.  173  to  281.  which  may  be 
seen. 

33.  It  shall  be  said  in  few  words  how  man  can  be 
more  nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  and  then  how  that 
conjunction  appears  nearer  and  nearer.  Hoic  man  is 
tnore  and  more  nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord:  this  is 
not  done  by  science  alone,  nor  by  intelligence  alone, 
yea,  neither  by  wisdom  alone,  but  by  life  conjoined 
to  them:  man's  life  is  his  love,  and  love  is  manifold; 
in  general  it  is  the  love  of  evil  and  the  love  of  good : 
the  love  of  evil  is  the  love  of  committing  adultery,  of 
revenging,  of  defrauding,  of  blaspheming,  of  depriving 


40  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

Others  of  their  goods  :  the  love  of  evil  in  thinking  and 
doing  these  things  feels  pleasure  and  delight:  the 
derivations  which  are  the  affections  of  this  love,  are 
just  as  many  as  are  the  evils  towards  which  it  has 
determined  itself;  and  the  perceptions  and  thoughts 
of  this  love  are  just  as  many  as  are  the  falsities  which 
favor  those  evils  and  confirm  them:  these  falsities  make 
one  with  the  evils,  as  the  understanding  makes  one 
with  the  will ;  they  are  not  separated  from  each  other, 
because  one  is  of  the  other.  Now  because  the  Lord 
flows  into  the  life's  love  of  every  one,  and  through  his 
affections  into  the  perceptions  and  thoughts,  and  not 
the  reverse,  as  was  said  above,  it  follows  that  he  can- 
not conjoin  himself  nearer,  than  as  the  love  of  evil 
with  its  affections,  which  are  concupiscences,  is  re- 
moved ;  and  because  these  reside  in  the  natural  man, 
and  whatever  man  does  from  the  natural  man  he  feels 
to  do  as  of  himself,  therefore  man  ought  as  of  himself 
to  remove  the  evils  of  that  love ;  and  then,  as  far  as 
he  removes  them,  so  far  the  Lord  approaches  nearer, 
and  conjoins  Himself  to  him  :  every  one  can  see  from 
reason,  that  concupiscences  with  their  delights  block 
up  and  shut  the  doors  before  the  Lord,  and  that  they 
cannot  be  cast  out  by  the  Lord,  as  long  as  man  him- 
self holds  the  doors  shut,  and  from  without  presses 
and  pushes  lest  they  be  opened :  that  man  himself 
ought  to  open,  is  manifest  from  the  words  of  the  Lord 
in  the  Apocalypse  :  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and 
knock  ;  if  any  one  hear  tny  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I 
will  enter  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with 
«ie,"  iii.  20.  Hence  it  is  manifest,  that  as  far  as  any 
one  shuns  evils  as  diabolical,  and  as  opposing  the 
entrance  of  the  Lord,  so  far  he  is  more  and  more 
nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord ;  and  he  the  most  nearly, 
who  abominates  them  as  so  many  dark  and  fiery 
devils ;  for  evil  and  the  devil  are  one,  and  the  falsity 
of  evil  and  Satan  are  one :  since  as  the  influx  of  the 
Lord  is  into  the  love  of  good,  and  into  its  affections, 
and  through  these  into  the  perceptions  and  thoughts, 
which  all  derive  from  the  good  in  which  man  is,  that 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  41 

they  are  truths;  so  the  influx  of  the  devil,  that  is,  of 
hell,  is  into  the  love  of  evil  and  its  affections  which 
are  concupiscences,  and  through  them  into  the  percep- 
tions and  thoughts,  which  all  derive  from  the  evil  in 
which  man  is,  that  they  are  falsities.  Hoio  that  con- 
junction appears  nearer  and  nearer.  The  more  evils 
are  removed  in  the  natural  man  by  the  shunning 
and  loathing  of  them,  the  more  nearly  man  is  con- 
joined to  the  Lord;  and  because  love  and  wisdom, 
which  are  the  Lord  Himself,  are  not  in  space,  for 
affection  which  is  of  love  and  thought  which  is  of 
wisdom  have  nothing  in  common  with  space,  there- 
fore the  Lord  appears  nearer,  according  to  conjunc- 
tion by  love  and  wisdom ;  and  in  turn  more  remote, 
according  to  the  rejection  of  love  and  wisdom:  space 
is  not  given  in  the  spiritual  world,  but  there  distances 
and  presences  are  appearances  according  to  similarities 
and  dissimilarities  of  affections;  for,  as  was  said,  af- 
fections which  are  of  love,  and  thoughts  which  are  of 
wisdom,  and  in  themselves  spiritual,  are  not  in  space ; 
concerning  which  subject  may  be  seen  the  things 
Avhich  were  shown  in  the  treatise  concerning  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  7  to  10,  and  n.  69 
to  72,  and  elsewhere.  The  conjunction  of  the  Lord 
with  man,  with  whom  evils  are  removed,  is  under- 
stood by  these  words  of  the  Lord,  "  The  pure  in  heart 
shall  see  God,'^  Matt.  v.  8,  and  by  these,  "  ii/e  who 
hath  my  precepts,  and  doeth  them,  loith  him  I  will 
make  an  abode,''^  John  xiv.  21,  23 :  to  have  precepts 
is  to  know,  and  to  do  precepts  is  to  love;  for  it  is  also 
said,  he  who  doeth  my  precepts,  he  it  is  who  loveth  me. 
34.  III.  TJiat  the  more  nearly  man  is  conjoined  to 
the  Lord,  the  wiser  he  becomes.  Since  there  are  three 
degrees  of  life  with  man  from  creation,  and  thence 
from  nativity,  concerning  which  just  above,  n.  32, 
there  are  especially  three  degrees  of  wisdom  with 
him :  these  are  the  degrees  which  are  opened  with 
man  according  to  conjunction  ;  they  are  opened  ac- 
cording to  love,  for  love  is  conjunction  itself:  but  the 
ascent  of  love  according  to  degrees  is  not  perceived  by 
4# 


42  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

man,  except  obscurely;  but  the  ascent  of  wisdom  is 
clearly,  with  those  who  know  and  see  what  wisdom 
is.  The  cause  that  the  degrees  of  wisdom  are  per- 
ceived, is  because  love  enters  through  the  affections 
into  the  perceptions  and  thoughts,  and  these  set  them- 
selves in  the  internal  sight  of  the  mind,  which  corres- 
ponds to  the  external  sight  of  the  body ;  hence  it  is, 
that  the  wisdom  appears,  but  not  so  the  affection  of 
love  which  produces  it :  this  is  the  like  as  with  all 
things  which  are  actually  done  by  man;  it  is  per- 
ceived how  the  body  operates  them,  but  not  how  the 
mind  does;  so  too  it  is  perceived  how  man  meditates, 
perceives,  and  thinks,  but  not  how  their  soul,  which  is 
the  affection  of  good  and  truth,  produces  them.  But 
there  are  three  degrees  of  wisdom,  the  natural,  the 
spiritual,  and  the  celestial :  in  the  natural  degree  of 
wisdom  is  man  while  he  lives  in  the  world;  this  degree 
with  him  can  then  be  perfected  to  its  highest,  but  still 
cannot  enter  the  spiritual  degree,  because  this  degree  is 
not  continued  to  the  natural  degree  by  continuity,  but 
is  conjoined  to  it  by  correspondences :  in  the  spiritual 
degree  of  wisdom  man  is  after  death,  and  this  degree 
is  also  such,  that  it  can  be  perfected  to  its  highest,  but 
still  cannot  enter  the  celestial  degree  of  wisdom ; 
because  neither  is  this  degree  continued  to  the  spirit- 
ual by  continuity,  but  is  conjonied  to  it  by  corres- 
pondences :  from  these  things  it  may  be  evident,  that 
wisdom  can  be  elevated  in  a  triplicate  ratio,  and  that 
in  either  degree  it  can  be  perfected  in  a  simple  ratio 
to  its  highest.  He  who  comprehends  the  elevations 
and  perfections  of  these  degrees,  can  in  some  measure 
perceive  that  which  is  said  concerning  angelic  wisdom, 
that  it  is  ineffable;  it  is  also  so  ineffable,  that  a  thou- 
sand ideas  of  the  thought  of  the  angels  from  their 
wisdom  cannot  fix  above  one  idea  of  the  thought  of 
men  from  their  wisdom  ;  those  nine  hundred  and 
ninety-nine  ideas  of  the  thought  of  the  angels  cannot 
enter,  for  they  are  things  supernatural:  that  it  is  so, 
has  many  times  been  given  to  know  by  living  experi- 
ence.    But,  as  was  said  before,  no  one  can  come  into 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  43 

that  ineffable  wisdom  of  the  angels,  except  by  con- 
junction with  the  Lord,  and  according  to  it;  for  the 
Lord  above  opens  the  spiritual  degree  and  the  celestial 
degree,  yet  only  with  those  who  are  wise  from  Him ; 
and  those  are  wise  from  the  Lord  who  reject  the  devil, 
that  is,  evil,  from  themselves. 

35.  But  let  no  one  believe  that  any  one  has  wisdom, 
because  he  knows  many  things,  and  perceives  them 
in  a  certain  light,  and  because  he  can  speak  them 
intelligently,  unless  it  is  conjoined  to  love ;  for  love, 
by  its  affections,  produces  it :  if  it  is  not  conjoined  to 
love,  it  is  as  a  meteor  which  vanishes  in  the  air,  and 
as  a  falling  star ;  but  wisdom  conjoined  to  love  is  as 
the  permanent  light  of  the  sun,  and  as  a  fixed  star: 
man  has  the  love  of  wisdom,  so  far  as  he  loathes  the 
diabolical  crew,  which  are  the  concupiscences  of  evil 
and  falsity. 

36.  The  wisdom  which  comes  to  perception,  is  the 
perception  of  truth  from  the  affection  of  it,  especially 
the  perception  of  spiritual  truth;  for  there  is  civil 
truth,  moral  truth,  and  spiritual  truth  :  those  who  are 
in  the  perception  of  spiritual  truth  from  the  affection, 
of  it,  are  also  in  the  perception  of  moral  and  civil 
truth;  for  the  affection  of  spiritual  truth  is  the  soul  of 
the  latter.  I  have  sometimes  spoken  with  the  angels 
concerning  wisdom,  who  said  that  wisdom  is  conjunc- 
tion with  the  Lord,  because  the  Lord  is  wisdom  itself; 
and  that  he  comes  into  that  conjunction  who  rejects 
hell  from  himself,  and  so  far  into  it  as  he  rejects  :  they 
said  that  they  represent  wisdom  to  themselv^es  as  a 
magnificent  and  most  highly  furnished  palace,  into 
which  one  ascends  by  twelve  steps;  and  that  no  one 
comes  to  the  first  step,  except  from  the  Lord  by  con- 
junction with  Him  ;  and  that  any  one  asce;ids  accord- 
ing to  conjunction;  and  that  as  he  ascends  he  perceives 
that  no  one  is  wise  from  himself,  but  from  the  Lord; 
also  that  the  things  upon  which  he  is  wise,  compared 
with  the  things  upon  which  he  is  not  wise,  are  as  a 
few  drops  to  a  great  lake.     By  the  twelve  steps  to  the 


44  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

palace  of  wisdom  are  signified   goods   conjoined   to 
truths  and  truths  conjoined  to  goods. 

37.  IV.  That  the  nearer  man  is  conjoined  to  the 
Lord,  the  happier  he  becom,es.  Like  things  as  were 
said  above,  n.  32  to  34,  concerning  the  degrees  of  Hfe 
and  wisdom  according  to  conjunction  with  the  Lord, 
may  also  be  said  concerning  the  degrees  of  happiness ; 
for  happinesses,  or  blessednesses  and  pleasantnesses, 
ascend,  as  the  higher  degrees  of  the  mind,  which  are 
called  the  spiritual  and  celestial,  are  opened  with  man; 
and  these  degrees,  after  his  life  in  the  world,  increase 
to  eternity. 

38.  No  man  who  is  in  the  delights  of  the  concupis- 
cences of  evil  can  know  anything  concerning  the 
delights  of  the  affections  of  good,  in  which  the  angelic 
heaven  is ;  for  those  delights  are  altogether  opposite 
to  each  other  in  internals,  and  hence  interiorly  in  ex- 
ternals, but  yet  they  differ  little  on  the  very  surface  ;  for 
all  love  has  its  delights,  even  the  love  of  evil  with  those 
who  are  in  concupiscences;  as  the  love  of  committing 
adultery,  of  revenging,  of  defrauding,  of  stealing,  of 
being  cruel ;  yea,  with  the  worst,  of  blaspheming  the 
holy  things  of  the  church,  and  of  prating  out  venom 
against  God  :  the  fountain-head  of  these  delights  is 
the  love  of  ruling  from  the  love  of  self:  these  delights 
are  from  the  concupiscences  which  beset  the  interiors 
of  the  mind  ;  from  them  they  flow  down  into  the  body, 
and  there  excite  unclean  things,  which  titillate  the 
fibres :  thence  from  the  delight  of  the  mind  according 
to  concupiscences  arises  the  delight  of  the  body : 
what  and  of  what  quality  are  the  unclean  things 
which  titillate  the  fibres  of  their  body,  is  given  to  any 
one  to  know  after  death  in  the  spiritual  world ;  they 
are  in  general  cadaverous,  excrementitious,  stercora- 
ceous,  nidorous  and  urinous ;  for  their  hells  are  full 
of  such  unclean  things  :  that  these  are  correspondences, 
some  things  may  be  seen  in  the  treatise  concerning 
the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  422  to 
424 :  but  after  they  have  entered  into  hell,  those  foul 
delights  are  turned  into  direfulnesses.     These  things 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  45 

are  said,  that  it  may  be  understood  what  and  of  what 
quaHty  the  happiness  of  heaven  is,  concerning  which 
it  now  follows;  for  every  thing  is  known  from  its 
opposite. 

39.  The  blessednesses,  felicities,  delightsomenesses 
and  pleasantnesses,  in  a  word,  the  happinesses  of 
heaven,  cannot  be  described  with  words;  but  in  heaven 
they  can  be  perceived  by  sense ;  for  that  which  is 
perceived  by  sense  alone  cannot  be  described,  because 
it  does  not  fall  into  the  ideas  of  thonght,  and  hence 
neither  into  words;  for  the  understanding  alone  sees, 
and  sees  those  things  which  are  of  wisdom  or  truth, 
but  not  those  things  which  are  of  love  or  good  ;  where- 
fore those  happinesses  are  inexpressible,  but  still  they 
ascend  in  a  like  degree  with  wisdom  :  their  varieties 
are  infinite,  and  each  one  ineffable:  I  have  heard  this 
and  have  perceived  this.  But  those  happinesses  enter 
as  man  removes  the  concupiscences  of  the  love  of  evil 
and  falsity,  as  if  of  himself,  but  still  of  the  Lord; 
for  those  happinesses  are  the  happinesses  of  the  affec- 
tions of  good  and  truth,  and  these  are  opposite  to  the 
concupiscences  of  the  love  of  evil  and  falsity :  the 
happinesses  of  the  affections  of  the  love  of  good  and 
truth  begin  from  the  Lord,  thus  from  the  inmost,  and 
thence  diffuse  themselves  into  the  lower  things,  even 
to  the  ultimates,  and  thus  fill  an  angel,  and  cause  that 
as  a  whole  he  should  be  as  it  were  a  delight.  Such 
happinesses,  with  infinite  varieties,  are  in  every  affec- 
tion of  good  and  truth,  especially  in  the  affection  of 
wisdom. 

40.  The  delights  of  the  concupiscences  of  evil  and 
the  delights  of  the  affections  of  good  cannot  be  com- 
pared, because  interiorly  in  the  delights  of  the  concu- 
piscences of  evil  is  the  devil,  and  interiorly  in  the 
delights  of  the  affections  of  good  is  the  Lord :  if  they 
are  to  be  compared,  the  delights  of  the  concupiscences 
of  evil  cannot  be  otherwise  compared  than  with  the 
lascivious  delights  of  frogs  in  ponds,  as  also  of  ser- 
pents in  stenches;  but  the  delights  of  the  affections 


46  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

of  good  may  be  compared  to  the  delights  of  minds  in 
gardens  and  flower-beds ;  for  hke  things  as  affect  frogs 
and  serpents,  affect  also  those  in  the  hells  who  are  in 
the  concupiscences  of  evil ;  and  like  things  as  affect 
the  minds  in  gardens  and  flower-beds,  affect  also  those 
in  the  heavens  who  are  in  the  affections  of  good ;  for, 
as  was  said  above,  unclean  correspondences  affect  the 
evil,  and  clean  correspondences  affect  ihe  good. 

41.  From  these  things  it  may  be  evident,  that  the 
nearer  any  one  is  conjoined  to  the  I^ord,  the  happier 
he  becomes  ;  but  this  happiness  rarely  manifests  itself 
in  the  world,  because  man  is  then  in  the  natural  state, 
and  the  natural  does  not  communicate  with  the  spir- 
itual by  continuity,  but  by  correspondences;  and  this 
communication  is  not  felt  but  by  a  certain  rest  and 
peace  of  mind,  which  especially  takes  place  after  com- 
bats against  evils  :  but  when  man  puts  off"  the  natural 
state,  and  enters  the  spiritual  state,  which  is  done 
after  departure  out  of  the  world,  then  the  happiness 
above  described  successively  manifests  itself. 

42.  V.  That  the  more  nearly  man  is  conjoined  to 
the  Lord,  the  more  distinctly  he  appears  to  himself  as 
if  he  vms  his  own,  and  the  more  evidently  he  takes 
notice  that  he  is  the  Lord's.  It  is  according  to  appear- 
ance, that  the  nearer  any  one  is  conjoined  to  the  Lord, 
the  less  he  is  his  own ;  such  is  the  appearance  with 
all  the  evil,  and  also  with  those  who  believe  from  reli- 
gion that  they  are  not  under  the  yoke  of  the  law,  and 
that  no  one  can  do  good  of  himself;  for  the  former 
and  the  latter  cannot  see  otherwise  than  that  not  to  be 
permitted  to  think  and  will  evil,  but  only  good,  is  not 
to  be  one's  own  ;  and  because  they  who  are  conjoined 
to  the  Lord  neither  will  nor  can  think  and  will  evil, 
they  conclude  from  appearance  with  themselves,  that 
this  is  not  to  be  one's  own ;  when  yet  it  is  altogether 
the  contrary. 

43.  There  is  infernal  freedom,  and  there  is  heavenly 
freedom:  to  think  and  will  evil,  and,  as  far  as  the 
civil  and  moral  laws  do  not  restrain,  to  speak  and  do 
it,   is    from    infernal    freedom;    but    to  think  and  do 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  47 

good,  and,  as  far  as  opportunity  is  given,  to  speak  and 
do  it,  is  from  heavenly  freedom  :  whatever  man  thinks, 
wills,  speaks  and  does  from  freedom,  lie  perceives 
as  his  own ;  for  all  freedom  every  one  has  from  his 
love ;  wherefore  they  who  are  in  the  love  of  evil,  do 
not  perceive  otherwise  than  that  infernal  freedom  is 
freedom  itself;  but  they  who  are  in  the  love  of  good, 
perceive  that  heavenly  freedom  is  freedom  itself;  con- 
sequently, that  the  opposite  is  slavery  to  both :  but 
still,  it  cannot  be  denied  by  any  one,  but  that  the  one 
or  the  other  is  not  freedom  ;  for  two  freedoms,  oppo- 
site in  themselves,  cannot  in  themselves  be  freedoms ; 
moreover,  it  cannot  be  denied,  but  that  to  be  led  by 
good  is  freedom,  and  to  be  led  by  evil  is  slavish ;  for, 
to  be  led  by  good  is  to  be  led  by  the  Lord,  and  to  be 
led  by  evil  is  to  be  led  by  the  devil :  now  because  all 
that  which  he  does  from  freedom  appears  to  man  as 
his  own,  for  this  is  of  his  love,  and  to  do  from  his  love 
is  to  do  from  freedom,  as  was  said  above,  it  follows 
that  conjunction  with  the  Lord  causes  that  man 
appears  to  himself  free,  and  thence  his  own ;  and  the 
nearer  the  conjunction  with  the  Lord  is,  the  more  free, 
and  thence  the  more  his  own.  That  he  appears  to 
himself  the  more  distinctly  as  his  own,  is  because  the 
Divine  Love  is  such,  that  what  is  its  own  it  wills 
should  be  another's,  thus  man's  and  angel's :  all  spir- 
itual love  is  such,  and  most  so  the  Divine  Love :  and 
moreover,  the  Lord  never  compels  any  one,  because 
all  that  to  which  any  one  is  compelled  does  not 
appear  as  his  own ;  and  what  does  not  appear  as  his 
own,  cannot  become  of  his  love,  and  thus  be  appro- 
priated to  him  as  his  own ;  wherefore  man  is  contin- 
ually led  in  freedom  by  the  Lord,  and  also  is  reformed 
and  regenerated  in  freedom.  But  concerning  this 
thing  more  will  be  said  in  the  following  pages:  some 
things  may  also  be  seen  above,  n.  4. 

44.  But  that  man,  the  more  distinctly  he  appears 
to  himself  as  his  own,  the  more  evidently  takes  notice 
that  he  is  the  Lord's,  is  because  the  nearer  he  is  con- 
joined to  the  Lord,  the  wiser  he  becomes,  as  was 


48  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

shown  above,  n.  34  to  36;  and  wisdom  teaches  it,  and 
also  takes  notice  of  it;  the  angels  of  the  third  heaven 
too,  because  they  are  the  wisest  of  the  angels,  perceive 
it,  and  also  call  it  freedom  itself;  but  to  be  led  by 
one's  self  they  call  slavery :  the  cause  they  also  say 
is,  that  the  Lord  does  not  flow  in  immediately  into  the 
things  which  are  of  their  perception  and  thought  from 
wisdom,  bTit  into  the  affections  of  the  love  of  good, 
and  through  the  latter  into  the  former ;  and  that  they 
perceive  the  influx  in  the  affection,  from  which  they 
have  wisdom;  and  that  then  all  that  they  think  from 
wisdom  appears  as  from  themselves,  thus  as  their  own  ; 
and  that  hereby  reciprocal  conjunction  takes  place. 

45.  Since  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  has  for 
its  end  a  heaven  from  the  human  race,  it  follows  that  it 
has  for  its  end  the  conjunction  of  the  human  race  with 
Himself,  concerning  which,  n.  28  to  31 :  also,  that  it 
has  for  its  end  that  man  should  be  more  and  more 
nearly  conjoined  to  Him,  concerning  which,  n.  32,  33 ; 
for  thus  he  has  heaven  interiorly  :  as  also,  that  it  has 
for  its  end  that  man  may  by  that  conjunction  become 
wiser,  concerning  which,  n.  34  to  36 ;  and  that  he 
may  become  happier,  concerning  which,  n.  37  to  41 ; 
because  man  has  heaven  from  wisdom  and  according 
to  it;  and  through  it  also  happiness:  and  at  length, 
that  it  has  for  its  end  that  man  may  more  distinctly 
appear  to  himself  as  his  own,  and  still  the  more  evi- 
dently take  notice  that  he  is  the  Lord's;  concerning 
which,  n.  42  to  44.  All  these  things  are  of  the  Divine 
Providence  of  the  Lord,  because  all  these  are  heaven, 
which  is  for  its  end. 


THAT    THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE    OF    THE    LORD,  IN  ALL  THAT 
IT  DOES,   REGARDS  THE  INFINITE  AND  THE  ETERNAL. 

46.  It  is  known  in  the  christian  world,  that  God  is 
infinite  and  eternal ;  for  in  the  doctrine  of  the  trinity, 
which  has  its  name  from  Athanasius,  it  is  said  that 
God  the  Father  is  infinite,  eternal,  and  omnipotent  j 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  49 

in  like  manner  God  the  Son,  and  God  the  Holy  Spirit ; 
and  yet  that  there  are  not  three  infinites,  eternals,  and 
omnipotents,  but  one  :  from  these  things  it  follows,  that 
because  God  is  infinite  and  eternal,  nothing  else  can 
be  predicated  concerning  God  but  the  infinite  and  the 
eternal.  But  what  the  infinite  and  the  eternal  are, 
cannot  be  comprehended  by  the  finite,  and  also  can : 
it  cannot  be  comprehended,  because  the  finite  is  not 
capable  of  the  infinite;  and  it  can  be  comprehended, 
because  abstract  ideas  are  given,  by  which  it  may  be 
seen  what  things  are,  although  not  of  what  quality 
they  are  :  such  ideas  are  given  concerning  the  infinite ; 
as  that  God,  because  he  is  infinite,  or  the  Divine, 
because  it  is  infinite,  is  being  itself;  that  it  is  essence 
and  substance  itself;  that  it  is  love  itself  and  wisdom 
itself,  or  that  it  is  good  itself  and  truth  itself;  thus 
that  it  is  the  Very,  yea,  that  it  is  very  man  :  so  too  if 
it  is  said  that  the  infinite  is  the  all  [omne],  as  that 
infinite  wisdom  is  omniscience,  and  infinite  power  is 
omnipotence.  But  still,  these  things  fall  into  the 
obscure  of  thought,  and  from  incomprehensibleness 
perhaps  into  the  negative,  unless  there  be  abstracted 
from  the  idea  those  things  which  the  thought  draws 
from  nature,  especially  those  from  the  two  things 
proper  to  nature,  which  are  space  and  time  ;  for  these 
cannot  but  limit  ideas,  and  cause  that  abstract  ideas 
should  be  as  if  not  anything :  but  if  they  can  be 
abstracted  with  man,  as  is  done  with  an  angel,  then 
can  the  infinite,  by  means  of  those  things  which  were 
now  named  above,  be  comprehended ;  and  hence  also, 
that  man  is  something,  because  he  was  created  by  the 
infinite  God,  who  is  the  all ;  also  that  man  is  finite 
substance,  because  he  was  created  by  the  infinite  God, 
who  is  substance  itself;  as  also,  that  man  is  wisdom, 
because  he  was  created  by  the  infinite  God,  who  is 
wisdom  itself,  and  so  on  ;  for,  unless  the  infinite  God 
was  the  all,  the  substance  itself,  and  wisdom  itself, 
man  would  not  be  anything;  thus  either  nothing,  or 
only  an  idea  that  he  is ;  according  to  the  visionaries 
who  are  called  idealists.  From  the  things  which 
5 


50  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

were  shown  in  the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love 
AND  Divine  Wisdom,  it  is  manifest,  That  the  Divine 
Essence  is  love  and  wisdom,  n.  28  to  39.  That  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  are  substance  itself 
and  form  itself;  and  that  it  is  the  Very  and  the  Only, 
n.  40  to  46 :  and  that  God  created  the  universe  and 
all  things  of  it  from  Himself,  and  not  from  nothing,  n. 
282  to  284 :  hence  it  follows  that  every  created  thing, 
and  especially  man,  and  love  and  wisdom  in  him,  are 
something,  and  not  only  the  idea  that  they  are;  for, 
unless  God  was  infinite,  there  would  not  be  a  finite; 
also,  unless  the  infinite  was  the  all,  there  would  not 
be  anything:  and  unless  God  created  all  things  from 
Himself,  there  would  be  a  none  or  nothing;  in  a  word, 
We  ake  because  God  Is. 

47.  Now  because  the  Divine  Providence  is  treated 
of,  and  here  that  in  everything  which  it  does  it  regards 
the  infinite  and  the  eternal,  and  this  cannot  be  dis- 
tinctly set  forth  unless  in  some  order,  therefore  the 
order  shall  be  this.  L  That  the  infinite  in  itself  and 
the  eternal  in  itself  is  the  same  as  the  Divine.  H. 
That  the  infinite  and  eternal  in  itself  cannot  do  other- 
wise than  regard  the  infinite  from  itself  in  finites.  HI. 
That  the  Divine  Providence,  in  all  that  it  does,  regards 
the  infinite  and  eternal  from  itself,  especially  in  saving 
the  human  race.  IV.  That  an  image  of  the  infinite 
and  the  eternal  is  extant  in  the  angelic  heaven  from 
the  human  race  saved.  V.  That  to  regard  the  infinite 
and  the  eternal  in  forming  an  angelic  heaven,  that  it 
may  be  before  the  Lord  as  one  man,  who  is  His  image, 
is  the  inmost  of  the  Divine  Providence. 

48.  I.  That  the  infinite  in  itself  and  the  eternal  in 
itself  is  the  same  as  the  Divine,  may  be  evident  from 
the  things  which  were  shown  in  many  places  in  the 
treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wis- 
dom. That  the  infinite  in  itself  and  the  eternal  in 
itself  is  the  Divine,  is  according  to  the  angelic  idea : 
the  angels  by  the  infinite  understand  nothing  else  but 
the  Divine  Being,  and  by  the  eternal  the  Divine  Exist- 
ing.    But  that  the  infinite  in  itself  and  the  eternal  in 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  51 

itself  is  the  Divine,  can  both  be  seen  by  men,  and 
cannot  be  seen ;  it  can  be  seen  by  those  who  think 
concerning  the  infinite  not  from  space,  and  concerning 
the  eternal  not  from  time;  but  it  cannot  be  seen  by 
those  who  think  concerning  the  infinite  and  the  eter- 
nal from  space  and  time  :  thus  it  can  be  seen  by  those 
who  think  more  elevatedly,  that  is,  more  interiorly  in 
the  rational :  but  it  cannot  be  seen  by  those  who  think 
lower,  that  is,  more  exteriorly.  Those  by  whom  it 
can  be  seen,  think  that  an  infinite  of  space  cannot  be 
given;  just  so  neither  an  infinite  of  time,  which  is  an 
eternity  from  which  things  are ;  because  the  infinite 
is  without  a  first  and  last  end,  or  without  limits  :  they 
think  also  that  neither  can  an  infinite  from  itself  be 
given,  because  from  itself  puts  limit  and  beginning, 
or  a  prior  from  which  it  is;  consequently  that  it  is 
unmeaning  to  say  the  infinite  and  eternal  from  itself, 
because  that  would  be  as  if  it  were  said,  being  from 
itself,  which  is  contradictory;  for  an  infinite  from 
itself  would  be  an  infinite  from  an  infinite,  and  being 
from  itself  would  be  being  from  being;  and  this  infi- 
nite and  being  would  either  be  the  same  as  the  infinite, 
or  would  be  finite.  From  these  and  the  like  things, 
which  may  be  seen  interiorly  in  the  rational,  it  is 
manifest,  that  there  is  an  infinite  in  itself  and  an  eter- 
nal in  itself;  and  that  the  former  and  the  latter  is  the 
Divine  from  which  all  things  are. 

49.  I  know  that  many  will  say  with  themselves, 
How  can  any  one  comprehend  anything  interiorly  in 
his  rational  without  space  and  without  time?  and 
that  this  not  only  is,  but  also  that  it  is  the  all,  and 
that  it  is  the  Very,  from  which  all  things  are :  but 
think  interiorly,  whether  love  or  any  affection  of  it, 
or  wisdom  or  any  perception  of  it,  yea,  whether 
thought,  is  in  space  and  in  time ;  and  you  v/ill  dis- 
cover that  they  are  not ;  and  since  the  Divine  is  love 
itself  and  wisdom  itself,  it  follows  that  the  Divine 
cannot  be  conceived  in  space  and  time  ;  so  neither  the 
infinite :  that  this  may  be  more  clearly  perceived, 
consider  whether  thought  is  in  time  and  space ;  sup^ 


52  ANGELIC    "WISDOM    CONCERNING 

pose  a  lapse  of  it  of  ten  or  twelve  hours  ;  may  not  this 
space  of  time  appear  as  one  or  two  hours  1  and  may 
it  not  appear  as  one  or  two  days?  it  appears  according 
to  the  state  of  the  affection  from  which  the  thought  is  : 
if  it  is  an  afiection  of  gladness,  in  which  time  is  not 
thought  of,  the  thought  of  ten  or  twelve  hours  is 
scarcely  of  one  or  two ;  but  the  contrary,  if  it  is  an 
affection  of  pain,  in  which  time  is  attended  to :  from 
which  it  is  manifest  that  time  is  only  an  appearance 
according  to  the  state  of  the  affection  from  which 
thought  IS :  it  is  the  like  with  distance  of  space  in 
thought,  whether  you  are  walking  or  journeying. 

50.  Since  angels  and  spirits  are  affections  which 
are  of  love,  and  thoughts  thence,  therefore  neither  are 
they  in  space  and  time,  but  only  in  the  appearance  of 
them :  the  appearance  of  space  and  time  is  to  them 
according  to  the  states  of  the  affections  and  thence  of 
the  thoughts :  wherefore,  when  any  one  thinks  about 
another  from  affection,  with  the  intention  that  he 
wishes  to  see  him,  or  to  speak  with  him,  he  is  set 
forthwith  present.  Hence  it  is,  that  spirits  are  pre- 
sent with  every  man,  who  are  in  like  affection  with 
him ;  evil  spirits  with  him  who  is  in  the  affection  of 
like  evil,  and  good  spirits  with  him  who  is  in  the 
affection  of  like  good :  and  they  are  so  present,  as 
when  one  is  included  in  society :  space  and  time 
make  nothing  towards  presence,  for  the  reason  that 
affection  and  thence  thought  are  not  in  space  and 
time;  and  spirits  and  angels  are  affections  and  thence 
thoughts.  That  it  is  so,  has  been  given  to  know  from 
a  living  experience  of  many  years;  and  also  from  this, 
that  I  have  spoken  with  many  after  death,  as  well 
with  those  who  were  in  Europe  and  its  various  king- 
doms, as  with  those  who  were  in  Asia  and  Africa 
and  their  various  kingdoms ;  and  they  were  all  near 
me ;  wherefore,  if  there  had  been  space  and  time  to 
them,  journeying  and  the  time  of  journeying  would 
have  intervened.  Yea,  every  man  knows  this  from 
what  is  implanted  in  himself  or  in  his  mind;  which 
became  evidenced  to  me  by  this,  that  no  one  thought 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  53 

of  any  distance  of  space,  when  I  related  what  I  have 
spoken  with  any  one  deceased  in  Asia,  Africa,  or 
Europe;  as,  for  example,  with  Calvin,  Luther,  Me- 
lanchthon,  or  with  any  king,  officer,  or  priest,  in  a 
distant  country;  and  it  did  not  at  all  fall  into  their 
thoughts,  how  one  could  speak  with  those  who  lived 
there,  and  how  they  could  come  to  and  be  present 
with  him,  when  yet  lands  and  seas  intervene :  from 
this  it  has  also  been  manifest  to  me,  that  no  one 
thinks  from  space  and  time,  when  he  thinks  con- 
cerning those  who  are  in  the  spiritual  world.  That 
they  yet  have  the  appearance  of  space  and  time,  may 
be  seen  in  the  work  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  n. 
162  to  169,  n.  191  to  199. 

51.  From  these  things  it  may  now  be  evident,  that 
one  must  think  concerning  the  infinite  and  eternal, 
thus  concerning  the  Divine,  without  time  and  space  • 
and  that  one  can  so  think ;  and  also  that  those  do  so 
think  who  think  interiorly  in  the  rational ;  and  that 
then  the  infinite  and  eternal  is  the  same  as  the  Divine  : 
thus  think  angels  and  spirits  :  from  thought  abstracted 
from  time  and  space  is  comprehended  the  divine 
omnipresence  and  the  divine  omnipotence,  also  the 
Divine  from  eternity;  but  not  at  all  from  thought  to 
which  clings  an  idea  from  space  and  time.  From 
these  things  it  is  manifest  that  it  is  possible  to  think 
concerning  God  from  eternity,  but  never  concerning 
natnre  from  eternity;  consequently  that  it  is  possible 
to  think  concerning  the  creation  of  the  universe  by 
God,  but  not  at  all  concerning  creation  from  nature ; 
for  space  and  time  are  proper  to  nature,  but  the  Divine 
is  without  them.  That  the  Divine  is  without  space 
and  time,  may  be  seen  in  the  treatise  concerning  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  7  to  10,  69  to  72, 
73  to  76,  and  elsewhere. 

52.  H.  That  the  infinite  and  eternal  iti  itself  can- 
not do  otherwise  than  look  at  the  infinite  and  eternal 
from  itself  in  finites.  By  the  infinite  and  eternal  in 
itself  is  understood  the  Divine  itself,  as  was  shown  in 
the  article  just  preceding;  by  finites  arc  understood 

5# 


54  ANGELIC    WISDOM    COIVCEENING 

all  things  created  from  it,  and  especially  men,  spirits, 
and  angels;  and  by  looking  at  the  infinite  and  eternal 
from  itself,  is  to  look  at  the  Divine,  that  is,  to  itself  in 
them,  as  man  looks  at  the  image  of  himself  in  a  mir- 
ror :  that  it  is  so,  was  shown  in  many  places  in  the 
treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wis- 
dom, chiefly  where  it  was  demonstrated,  that  in  the 
created  universe  there  is  an  image  of  man,  and  that 
there  is  an  image  of  the  infinite  and  the  eternal,  n. 
317,  318,  thus  an  image  of  God  the  creator,  that  is,  of 
the  Lord  from  eternity.  Yet  it  is  to  be  known,  that 
the  Divine  in  itself  is  in  the  Lord,  but  the  Divine 
from  itself  is  the  Divine  from  the  Lord  in  created 
things. 

53.  But  that  this  may  be  more  fully  understood,  it 
is  to  be  illustrated.  The  Divine  cannot  look  at  any- 
thing else  than  the  Divine,  and  cannot  look  at  that 
elsewhere  than  in  things  created  from  itself:  that  it 
is  so,  is  evident  from  this,  that  no  one  can  look  at 
another,  but  from  his  own  in  himself;  he  who  loves 
another,  looks  at  him  from  his  own  love  in  himself; 
he  who  is  wise  looks  at  another  from  his  own  wisdom 
in  himself:  he  can  indeed  see  that  the  other  either 
loves  him,  or  does  not  love  him ;  also  that  he  either 
is  Avise,  or  is  not  wise ;  but  he  sees  this  from  love  and 
from  wisdom  in  himself;  wherefore  he  so  far  conjoins 
himself  to  him  as  the  other  loves  himself  as  he  loves 
him,  or  as  the  other  is  wise  like  himself,  for  thus  they 
make  a  one.  It  is  the  like  with  the  Divine  in  itself, 
for  the  Divine  in  itself  camiot  look  at  itself  from 
another,  as  from  man,  spirit  and  angel ;  for  they  have 
nothing  of  the  Divine  in  itself,  from  which  they  are, 
and  to  look  at  the  Divine  from  another  in  which  is 
nothing  of  the  Divine,  would  be  to  look  at  the  Divine 
from  no  Divine,  which  is  not  given  ;  hence  it  is,  that 
the  Lord  is  so  conjoined  to  man,  spirit  and  angel,  that 
everything  which  has  relation  to  the  Divine,  is  not 
from  them  but  from  the  Lord;  for  it  is  known,  that 
every  good  and  every  truth  which  any  one  has,  is  not 
from  him,  but  from  the  Lord ;  yea,  that  no  one  can 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  55 

even  name  the  Lord,  or  His  names  Jesus  and  Christ, 
except  from  Himself.  Hence  now  it  follows,  that  the 
infinite  and  eternal,  which  is  the  same  as  the  Divine, 
looks  at  all  things  infinitely  in  finite  ones,  and  that 
it  conjoins  itself  to  them  according  to  the  degree  of  the 
reception  of  wisdom  and  love  with  them.  In  a  word, 
the  Lord  cannot  have  an  abode,  and  dwell  with  man 
and  angel,  except  in  His  own,  and  not  in  their  pro- 
prium,  for  this  is  evil ;  and  if  it  were  good,  still  it  is 
finite,  which  in  itself  and  from  itself  is  not  able  to 
receive  the  infinite.  From  these  things  it  is  manifest, 
that  it  can  never  be  given,  that  a  finite  one  should 
look  at  the  infinite,  but  that  it  is  given  that  an  infi- 
nite one  should  look  at  the  infinite  from  itself  in 
finites. 

54.  It  appears  as  if  the  infinite  could  not  be  con- 
joined to  the  finite,  because  there  is  not  given  a  ratio 
between  the  infinite  and  the  finite,  and  because  the 
finite  is  not  able  to  receive  the  infinite ;  but  still,  con- 
junction is  given,  as  well  because  the  infinite  one  from 
himself  created  all  things,  according  to  the  things 
which  were  demonstrated  in  the  treatise  concerning 
the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  282  to  284,  as 
because  the  infinite  one  cannot  look  at  anything  else 
in  finites  but  the  infinite  from  itself,  and  that  this  may 
appear  with  finite  ones  as  in  them  ;  thus  there  is  given 
a  ratio  between  the  finite  and  the  infinite,  not  from  the 
finite,  but  from  the  infinite  in  the  finite:  and  also  the 
finite  one  is  thus  able  to  receive  the  infinite,  not  the 
finite  one  in  himself,  but  as  in  himself,  from  the  infi- 
nite from  itself  in  him.  Bat  more  concerning  these 
things  in  what  now  follows. 

55.  III.  That  the  Divine  Providence,  in  all  that  it 
does^  looks  at  the  infinite  and  eternal  from  itself^  espe- 
cially ill  saving  the  human  race.  The  infinite  and 
eternal  in  itself  is  the  Divine  itself  or  the  Lord  in 
Himself;  but  the  infinite  and  eternal  from  itself  is  the 
proceeding  Divine  or  the  Lord  in  others  created  from 
Himself,  thus  in  men  and  in  angels;  and  this  Divine 
is  the  same  as  the  Divine  Providence ;  for  the  Lord 


56  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

through  the  Divine  from  Himself  provides  that  all 
things  should  be  kept  together  in  the  order  in  which 
and  into  which  they  were  created:  and  because  the 
proceeding  Divine  operates  this,  it  follows  that  all  this 
is  the  Divine  Providence. 

56.    That  the  Divine  Providence,  in  all  that  it  does, 
looks  at  the  infinite  and  eternal  from  itself,  may  be 
evident  from  this,  that  every  created  thing  proceeds 
from  the  first,  which  is  the  infinite  and  eternal  one, 
to  ultimates,   and   from  ultimates  to  the  first  from 
which  it  is,  as  was  shown  in  the  treatise  concerning 
the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  in  the  part  where 
the  creation  of  the  universe  is  treated  of;  and  because 
in  all  progression  there  is  inmostly  a  first  from  which 
it  is,   it   follows   that   the   proceeding   Divine   or   the 
Divine  Providence,  in  all  that  it  does,  looks  at  a  cer- 
tain image  of  the  infinite  and  eternal ;   this  it  looks  at 
in  all  things,  but  in  some  to  the  evidentness  of  percep- 
tion, and  in  some  not  to  it :  it  presents  that  image  to 
the  evidentness  of  perception  in  the  variety  of  all 
things,  and  in  the  fructification  and  multiplication  of 
all  things.    An  image  of  the  infinite  and  eternal  in  the 
variety  of  all  things  appears  in  this,  that  there  is  not 
given  anything  the  same  as  another,  and  that  it  neither 
can  be  given  to  eternity :  this  is  manifest  to  the  eye 
in  the  faces  of  men  from  the  first  creation ;  just  so  too 
from  their  minds   {aninms^^  of  which   the  faces   are 
types ;  and  also  from  the  affections,  perceptions,  and 
thoughts,   for    the    minds   {animus]    are    from    these. 
Hence  it  is,  that  neither  are  there  given  in  the  univer- 
sal heaven  two  angels  or  two  spirits  the  same;  yea, 
that  neither  can  they  be  given  to  eternity :  it  is  the 
like  in  every  object  of  sight  in  both  worlds,  as  well 
the  natural  as  the  spiritual :  from  these  things  it  may 
be  evident,  that  variety  is  infinite  and  eternal.     A71 
im^age  of  the  infinite  and  eternal  in  the  fructification 
and  multiplication  of  all  things,  is  evident  from  the 
faculty  implanted  in  seeds  in  the  vegetable  kingdom, 
and  in  prolification  in  the  animal  kingdom,  especially 
in  the  race  of  fishes,  which,  if  fructified  and  multiplied 


THE    DIVINE    PROAHDENCE.  57 

according  to  faculty,  would  within  an  age  fill  the  space 
of  the  whole  world,  yea,  of  the  universe;  from  which 
it  is  manifest,  that  in  that  faculty  lies  hid  the  etibrt  of 
the  propagation  of  itself  to  infinity  :  and  because  fruc- 
tifications and  multiplications  have  not  been  wanting 
from  the  beginning  of  creation,  neither  will  be  wanting 
to  eternity,  it  follows  that  in  that  faculty  is  also  the 
effort  of  the  propagation  of  itself  to  eternity. 

57.  It  is  the  like  in  men,  as  to  their  affections 
which  are  of  love,  and  perceptions  which  are  of  wis- 
dom ;  of  the  former  and  the  latter,  the  variety  is  infi- 
nite and  eternal ;  in  like  manner  their  fructifications 
and  midtiplications,  which  are  spiritual:  no  man  takes 
pleasure  in  affection  and  perception  so  like  another's 
that  they  are  the  same,  nor  can  they  be  given  to 
eternity :  and  affections  can  also  be  fructified  and 
perceptions  multiplied  without  end  :  that  sciences  can 
never  be  exhausted,  is  known.  This  faculty  of  fruc- 
tification and  multiplication  without  end,  or  to  infinity 
and  eternity,  is  in  natural  things  with  men,  in  spiritual 
things  with  the  spiritual  angels,  and  in  celestial  things 
with  the  celestial  angels.  Not  only  are  affections, 
perceptions,  and  sciences  such  in  general,  but  also 
everything  of  them,  even  the  least,  in  particular. 
They  are  such,  because  they  exist  from  the  infinite 
and  eternal  in  itself  by  the  infinite  and  eternal  from 
itself  But  because  the  finite  has  not  anything  of  the 
Divine  in  itself,  therefore  there  is  not  anything  such, 
not  even  the  least,  in  man  or  angel  as  his ;  for  man 
and  angel  is  finite,  and  only  a  receptacle,  in  itself 
dead :  his  living  principle  is  from  the  proceeding 
Divine  conjoined  to  him  by  contiguity,  which  appears 
to  him  as  his.  That  it  is  so,  will  be  seen  in  what  fol- 
lows. 

58.  That  the  Divine  Providence  especially  looks  at 
the  infinite  and  eternal  from  itself  in  saving  the  human 
race,  is  because  the  end  of  the  Divine  Providence  is  a 
heaven  from  the  human  race,  as  was  shown  above,  n. 
37  to  45 ;  and  because  that  is  the  end,  it  follows  that 
it  is  the  reformation  and  regeneration  of  man,  thus 


58  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

his  salvation,  which  the  Divine  Providence  especially 
looks  at ;  for,  from  the  saved  or  regenerated,  heaven 
exists.  Since  to  regenerate  man  is  to  unite  good  and 
truth  in  him,  or  love  and  wisdom,  as  they  are  united 
in  the  Divine  which  proceeds  from  the  Lord,  therefore 
the  Divine  Providence  especially  looks  at  this  in  saving 
the  human  race  :  the  image  of  the  infinite  and  eternal 
is  nowhere  else  with  man  but  in  the  marriage  of  good 
and  truth.  That  the  proceeding  Divine  does  this  in 
the  human  race,  is  known  from  those  who,  filled  with 
the  proceeding  Divine,  which  is  called  the  Holy  Spirit, 
have  prophesied,  who  are  mentioned  in  the  Word; 
and  from  those  who,  being  illustrated,  see  divine 
truths  in  the  light  of  heaven  ;  especially  among  the 
angels,  who  perceive  presence,  influx  and  conjunction 
by  sense ;  but  these  also  observe  that  conjunction  is 
no  other  than  what  is  called  adjunction. 

.59.  It  is  not  yet  known  that  the  Divine  Providence, 
in  all  progression  with  man,  looks  at  his  eternal  state ; 
for  it  can  look  at  nothing  else,  because  the  Divine  is 
infinite  and  eternal,  and  the  infinite  and  eternal  or 
the  Divine  is  not  in  time,  and  hence  all  future  things 
are  present  to  it;  and  because  the  Divine  is  such,  it 
follows  that  in  each  and  every  thing  which  it  does  is 
the  eternal.  Yet  they  who  think  from  time  and  space, 
perceive  this  with  difficulty,  not  only  because  they  love 
temporal  things,  but  also  because  they  think  from  the 
present  in  the  world  and  not  from  the  present  in  hea- 
ven ;  this  is  as  absent  from  them  as  the  end  of  the 
earth :  but  they  who  are  in  the  Divine  do  also  thhik 
from  the  eternal  when  from  the  present,  because  from 
the  Lord,  saying  with  themselves.  What  is  that  which 
is  not  eternal?  is  not  the  temporal  respectively  as 
nothing?  and  it  also  becomes  nothing  when  it  is 
ended:  the  eternal  is  otherwise;  this  alone  is,  because 
its  being  is  not  ended  :  to  think  thus  is  while  thinking 
from  the  present  to  think  at  the  same  time  from  the 
eternal ;  and  when  man  so  thinks,  and  at  the  same 
time  so  lives,  then  the  proceeding  Divine  with  him, 
or  the  Divine  Providence,  in  all  progression,  looks  at 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  59 

the  state  of  his  eternal  Hfe  in  heaven,  and  leads  to  it. 
That  the  Divine  in  every  man,  as  well  evil  as  good, 
looks  at  the  eternal,  will  be  seen  in  the  following. 

60.  IV.  That  an  image  of  the  infinite  and  eternal 
is  extant  in  the  angelic  heaven.  Among  the  things 
necessary  to  be  known  is  also  the  angelic  heaven,  for 
every  one  Avho  has  any  religion  thinks  of  it,  and 
wishes  to  come  thither;  but  heaven  is  given  to  no 
others  but  those  who  know  the  way  to  it,  and  walk 
in  it :  this  way  may  also  be  somewhat  known  from  a 
knowledge  of  what  quality  those  are  who  constitute 
it,  and  that  no  one  becomes  an  angel,  or  comes  into 
heaven,  except  him  who  carries  the  angelic  with  him 
out  of  the  world;  and  in  the  angelic  there  is  the 
knowledge  of  the  way  from  walking  in  it,  and  the 
walking  in  the  way  by  the  knowledge  of  it.  In  the 
spiritual  world  there  are  also  actually  ways,  which 
tend  to  every  society  of  heaven,  and  to  every  one  of 
hell;  and  each  sees  his  own  way  as  of  himself:  that 
he  sees  it,  is  because  there  are  ways  there  for  every 
love,  and  love  opens  it,  and  leads  to  associates;  no 
one  sees  any  other  ways  but  that  of  his  own  love : 
from  which  it  is  manifest  that  angels  are  nothing  but 
heavenly  loves,  for  otherwise  they  would  not  see  the 
ways  tending  to  heaven.  But  this  may  be  better 
evident  from  the  description  of  heaven. 

61.  Every  spirit  of  man  is  affection  and  thence 
thought,  and  because  all  affection  is  of  love,  and 
thought  is  of  the  understanding,  every  spirit  is  his 
own  love  and  thence  his  own  understanding ;  which 
is  the  cause  that  when  man  thinks  only  from  his 
spirit,  which  is  done  when  he  meditates  with  himself 
at  home,  he  thinks  from  the  affection  which  is  of  his 
love:  it  may  hence  be  evident  that  man,  when  he 
becomes  a  spirit,  which  takes  place  after  death,  is  the 
affection  of  his  own  love,  and  not  any  other  thought 
than  what  is  of  his  affection  :  it  is  an  evil  affection, 
which  is  lust,  if  he  had  had  the  love  of  evil ;  and  a 
good  affection,  if  he  had  had  the  love  of  good :  and 
every  one  has  a  good  affection,  as  he  had  shunned 


60  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

evils  as  sins;  and  every  one  has  an  evil  affection,  as 
he  had  not  so  shunned  evils.  Now  because  all  spirits 
and  angels  are  affections,  it  is  manifest  that  the 
universal  angelic  heaven  is  nothing  but  the  love  of  all 
the  affections  of  good,  and  thence  the  wisdom  of  all 
perceptions  of  truth ;  and  because  all  good  and  truth 
is  from  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  is  love  itself  and  wis- 
dom itself,  it  follows  that  the  angelic  heaven  is  an 
image  of  Him ;  and  because  divine  love  and  divine 
wisdom  in  its  form  is  man,  it  also  follows  that  the 
angelic  heaven  cannot  be  otherwise  than  in  such  a 
form :  but  concerning  this,  more  will  be  said  in  the 
following  article. 

62.  That  the  angelic  heaven  is  an  image  of  the 
infinite  and  eternal,  is  because  it  is  an  image  of  the 
Lord,  and  the  Lord  is  infinite  and  eternal.  An  image 
of  the  infinite  and  eternal  itself  appears  in  this,  that 
there  are  myriads  of  myriads  of  angels,  of  whom 
heaven  is,  and  that  they  constitute  just  as  many 
societies  as  there  are  general  affections  of  heavenly 
love,  and  that  every  angel  in  every  society  is  dis- 
tinctly his  own  affection ;  and  that  from  so  many 
affections  in  general  and  in  particular  is  the  form  of 
heaven,  which  is  as  a  one  before  the  Lord,  not  other- 
wise than  as  man  is  a  one ;  and  that  this  form  is  per- 
fected to  eternity  according  to  plurality,  for  the  more 
there  are  that  enter  the  form  of  divine  love,  which  is 
the  form  of  forms,  the  more  perfect  the  union  becomes. 
From  these  things  it  is  plainly  manifest,  that  an  image 
of  the  infinite  and  eternal  is  extant  in  the  angelic 
heaven. 

63.  From  the  knowledge  of  heaven  given  through 
this  brief  description,  it  is  manifest  that  the  affection 
which  is  of  the  love  of  good  makes  heaven  with  man  : 
but  who  knows  this  at  this  day?  yea.  who  knows 
what  the  affection  of  the  love  of  good  is  7  also  that 
the  affections  of  the  love  of  good  are  innumerable, 
yea,  infinite ;  for,  as  has  been  said,  every  angel  is 
distinctly  his  own  affection,  and  the  form  of  heaven 
is  the  form  of  all  the  affections  of  the  divine  love 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  61 

there.  No  other  can  unite  all  affections  into  this 
form,  but  He  who  is  love  itself  and  at  the  same  time 
wisdom  itself,  and  at  once  infinite  and  eternal ;  for 
the  infinite  and  eternal  is  in  the  all  of  form,  the  infi- 
nite in  the  conjunction,  and  the  eternal  in  the  per- 
petuity; if  the  infinite  and  eternal  were  taken  away 
from  it,  it  would  fall  asunder  in  a  moment :  who  else 
can  unite  affections  into  a  form  7  yea,  who  else  can 
unite  a  one  of  it?  for  a  one  of  it  cannot  be  united, 
except  from  a  universal  idea  of  all,  nor  the  universal 
of  all,  except  from  a  particular  idea  of  each  :  there 
are  myriads  of  myriads  who  compose  that  form,  and 
there  are  myriads  who  enter  it  yearly,  and  who  will 
enter  to  eternity  :  all  infants  enter,  and  as  many  adults 
as  are  affections  of  the  love  of  good.  From  these 
things  may  again  be  seen  an  image  of  the  infinite  and 
eternal  in  the  angehc  heaven. 

64.  V.  That  to  look  at  the  infinite  and  eternal  in 
fanning  the  angelic  heaven^  that  it  may  be  before  the 
Lord  as  one  tnan,  v)hich  is  his  i?nage,  is  the  in?nost 
of  the  Divine  Providence.  That  the  universal  heaven 
is  as  one  man  before  the  Lord,  and  that  every  society 
of  heaven  is  in  like  manner,  and  that  it  is  hence  that 
every  angel  is  in  perfect  form  a  man,  and  that  this  is 
so  because  God  the  creator,  who  is  the  Lord  from 
eternity,  is  man,  may  be  seen  in  the  work  concerning 
Heaven  and  Hell,  n.  59  to  S6.  Also  that  hence  there 
is  a  correspondence  of  all  things  of  heaven  with  all 
things  of  man,  n.  87  to  102.  That  the  universal  hea- 
ven is  as  one  man,  has  not  been  seen  by  me,  because 
the  universal  heaven  cannot  be  seen  by  any  one,  but 
by  the  Lord  alone ;  yet  that  an  entire  society  of  hea- 
ven, greater  or  less,  appeared  as  one  man,  this  has 
been  several  times  seen ;  and  it  was  then  said,  that 
the  greatest  society,  v/hich  is  heaven  in  the  whole 
aggregate,  appears  in  like  manner,  bat  before  the 
Lord ;  and  that  this  is  the  cause  that  every  angel  is 
in  all  form  a  man. 

65.  Since  the  universal  heaven  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord  is  as  one  man,  therefore  heaven  is  distinguished 

6 


62  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

into  as  many  general  societies  as  there  are  organs, 
viscera  and  members  with  man ;  and  each  general 
society  into  as  many  societies,  less  general  or  particu- 
lar, as  there  are  larger  parts  of  each  viscns  and  organ  : 
from  which  it  is  manifest  of  what  quality  heaven  is. 
Now  because  the  Lord  is  man  himself,  and  heaven  is 
His  image,  therefore  being  in  heaven  is  called  being 
in  the  Lord :  that  the  Lord  is  man  himself,  may  be 
seen  in  the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and 
Divine  Wisdom,  n.  11  to  13,  n.  285  to  289. 

66.  From  these  things  may  in  some  measure  be 
seen  this  arcanum,  which  may  be  called  angelic,  that 
every  affection  of  good  and  at  the  same  time  of  truth 
is  in  its  form  a  man ;  for  whatever  proceeds  from 
the  Lord,  draws  from  His  divine  love  that  it  is  an 
affection  of  good,  and  from  His  divine  wisdom  that  it 
is  an  affection  of  truth.  The  affection  of  truth  which 
proceeds  from  the  Lord,  appears  as  the  perception  and 
thence  thought  of  truth  in  angel  and  in  man,  for  the 
reason  that  perception  and  thought  are  attended  to, 
and  very  little  the  affection  from  which  they  are, 
which  yet  with  the  affection  of  truth  proceed  as  one 
from  the  Lord. 

67.  Now  because  man  from  creation  is  a  heaven  in 
the  least  form,  and  thence  an  image  of  the  Lord,  and 
because  heaven  consists  of  as  many  affections  as  there 
are  angels,  and  every  affection  is  in  its  form  a  man, 
it  follows  that  the  continual  of  the  Divine  Providence 
is,  that  man  may  become  a  heaven  in  form,  and 
thence  an  image  of  the  Lord  ;  and  because  this  is  done 
by  the  affection  of  good  and  truth,  that  he  may  be- 
come that  affection  :  this  therefore  is  the  continual  of 
the  Divine  Providence,  but  its  inmost  is,  that  he  may 
be  here  or  there  in  heaven,  or  here  or  there  in  the 
divine  heavenly  man,  for  thus  he  is  in  the  Lord.  But 
this  takes  place  with  those  whom  the  Lord  can  lead 
to  heaven  ;  and  because  the  Lord  foresees  this,  he  also 
continually  provides  that  he  may  become  such  ;  for 
thus  every  one  who  suffers  himself  to  be  led  to  heaven, 
is  prepared  for  his  place  in  heaven. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  63 

68.  Heaven,  as  was  said  above,  is  distinguished 
into  as  many  societies  as  there  are  organs,  viscera 
and  members  in  man;  and  among  the  latter  there 
cannot  be  one  part  in  any  other  place  bat  its  own : 
since  therefore  the  angels  are  such  parts  in  the  divine 
heavenly  man,  and  no  others  become  angels  but  those 
who  have  been  men  in  the  world,  it  follows  that  man, 
who  suffers  himself  to  be  led  to  heaven,  is  continually 
prepared  by  the  Lord  for  his  own  place;  which  is 
done  by  such  affection  of  good  and  truth  as  corres- 
ponds :  into  this  place  also  every  man-angel,  after 
his  departure  out  of  the  world,  is  inscribed.  This  is 
the  inmost  of  the  Divine  Providence  concerning  heaven. 

69.  But  man  who  does  not  suffer  himself  to  be  led 
to  and  inscribed  in  heaven,  is  prepared  for  his  own 
place  in  hell;  for  man  of  himself  continually  tends  to 
the  lowest  of  hell,  but  is  continually  led  back  by  the 
Lord ;  and  he  who  cannot  be  led  back,  is  prepared 
for  a  certain  place  there,  in  which  he  is  also  inscribed 
immediately  after  his  departure  from  the  world :  and 
this  place  there  is  opposite  to  a  certain  place  in 
heaven,  for  hell  is  in  the  opposite  against  heaven ; 
wherefore  as  a  man-angel  according  to  the  affection 
of  good  and  truth  is  allotted  his  place  in  heaven,  so  a 
man-devil  according  to  the  affection  of  evil  and  falsity 
is  allotted  his  place  in  hell ;  for  two  opposites  arranged 
in  like  position  against  each  other  are  kept  together  in 
connexion.  This  is  the  inmost  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence concerning  hell. 


THAT  THERE  ARE  LAWS  OF    THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE,  WHICH 
ARE  UNKNOWN  TO  MEN. 

70.  That  there  is  a  Divine  Providence,  is  known ; 
but  of  what  quality  it  is,  is  not  known.  That  it  is 
not  known  of  what  quality  the  Divine  Providence  is, 
is  because  its  laws  are  arcana,  hitherto  concealed  in 
the  wisdom  with  the  angels,  but  now  to  be  revealed, 
that  to  the  Lord  may  be  ascribed  what  is  His,  and  not 


64  ANGELTC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

to  any  man  what  is  not  his :  for  most  in  the  world 
attribnte  all  things  to  themselves  and  to  their  own 
prndence;  and  the  things  which  they  cannot  so  attri- 
bnte, they  call  fortnitons  and  contingent;  not  know- 
ing that  imman  prudence  is  nothing,  and  that  fortni- 
tons and  contingent  are  vain  words.  It  is  said  that 
the  laws  of  the  Divine  Providence  are  arcana,  hitherto 
concealed  in  the  wisdom  with  the  angels ;  the  cause 
is,  that  in  the  christian  world  the  understanding  in  di- 
vine things  is  shut  up  from  religion,  and  hence  it  has 
become  so  blunt  and  resistant,  that  man  could  not 
because  he  would  not,  or  would  not  because  he  could 
not,  understand  anything  else  concerning  the  Divine 
Providence  than  only  that  it  is,  and  reason  whether  it 
is  or  is  not,  as  also  whether  it  is  only  universal  or  also 
particular:  the  understanding,  shut  up  from  religion 
in  divine  things,  could  not  proceed  farther.  But 
because  it  has  been  acknowledged  in  the  church  that 
man  cannot  of  himself  do  good  which  is  in  itself  good, 
nor  of  himself  think  truth  which  is  in  itself  truth,  and 
these  are  one  with  the  Divine  Providence,  therefore 
the  belief  of  the  one  hangs  upon  the  belief  of  the  other ; 
lest  the  one  therefore  should  be  affirmed  and  the  other 
denied,  and  thus  both  fall,  it  is  by  all  means  to  be 
revealed  what  the  Divine  Providence  is :  yet  this 
cannot  be  revealed,  miless  the  laws  are  disclosed  by 
which  the  Lord  provides  and  governs  the  voluntary 
and  intellectual  things  of  man ;  for  the  laws  give  to 
know  its  quality ;  and  whoever  knows  its  quality,  he 
and  no  other  can  acknowledge  it;  for  he  then  sees  it: 
this  is  the  cause  that  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, hitherto  concealed  in  the  wisdom  with  the 
angels,  are  now  revealed. 


THAT  IT  IS  A  LAW  OF  THE  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE  THAT  MAN 
SHOULD  ACT  FROM  FREEDOM  ACCORDING  TO  REASON. 

71.  That  man  has  freedom  of  thinking  and  willing 
as  he  pleases,  but  not  freedom  of  speaking  whatever 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE,  65 

he  thinks,  nor  freedom  of  doing  whatever  he  wills,  is 
known  :  wherefore  the  freedom  which  is  here  under- 
stood is  spiritual  freedom,  and  not  natural,  except 
when  they  make  one ;  for  to  think  and  will  is  spiritual, 
but  to  speak  and  act  is  natural :  they  are  also  mani- 
festly distinguished  with  men ;  for  man  can  think 
what  he  does  not  speak,  and  will  what  he  does  not 
do;  from  which  it  is  manifest  that  the  spiritual  and 
the  natural  with  man  are  discriminated,  wherefore 
'man  cannot  pass  from  the  one  to  the  other  except  by 
determination  ;  which  determination  may  be  compared 
to  a  door,  which  is  first  to  be  unclosed  and  opened ; 
but  this  door  stands  as  if  open  with  those  who  think 
and  will  from  reason  according  to  the  civil  laws  of  the 
kingdom  and  the  moral  laws  of  society,  for  these  speak 
'*  what  they  think  and  do  as  they  will  to ;  but  that  door 
stands  as  if  shut  with  those  who  think  and  will  against 
those  laws  :  he  who  attends  to  his  wishes  and  thence 
his  deeds,  notices  that  such  determination  comes  in, 
and  many  times  in  one  discourse  and  in  one  action. 
These  things  are  premised,  that  it  may  be  known  that 
by  acting  from  freedom  according  to  reason  is  under- 
stood to  think  and  will  freely,  and  thence  to  speak  and 
do  freely  what  is  according  to  reason. 

72.  But  because  few  know  that  this  law  can  be  a 
law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  from  this  especially, 
because  thus  man  has  also  freedom  to  think  evil  and 
falsity,  and  yet  the  Divine  Providence  is  continually 
leading  man  to  think  and  will  good  and  truth,  there- 
fore, that  this  may  be  perceived,  it  is  necessary  to  go 
forward  distinctly ;  which  shall  be  in  this  order.  I. 
That  man  has  reason  and  freedom,  or  rationality  and 
liberty;  and  that  these  two  faculties  are  from  the 
Lord  with  man.  II.  That  whatever  man  does  from 
freedom,  whether  it  is  of  reason  or  not  of  reason,  pro- 
vided it  is  according  to  his  reason,  appears  to  him  as 
his.  III.  That  whatever  man  does  from  freedom 
according  to  his  thought,  is  appropriated  to  him  as 
his,  and  remains.  IV.  That  man  through  these  two 
faculties  is  reformed  and  regenerated  by  the  Lord; 
6# 


66  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

and  that  without  them  he  cannot  be  reformed  and 
regenerated.  V.  That  man  by  the  means  of  these  two 
faculties  can  be  so  far  reformed  and  regenerated  as  he 
can  through  them  be  led  to  acknowledge  that  all  the 
good  and  truth  which  he  thinks  and  does  is  from  the 
Lord  and  not  from  himself.  VI.  That  the  conjunc- 
tion of  the  Lord  with  man,  and  the  reciprocal  con- 
junction of  man  with  the  Lord,  takes  place  by  these 
two  faculties.  VII.  That  the  Lord  guards  these  two 
faculties  with  man  inviolate  and  as  sacred  in  all  the- 
course  of  His  Divine  Providence.  VIII.  That  there- 
fore it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence  that  man  should 
act  from  freedom  according  to  reason. 

73.  I.  That  man  has  reason  and  freedom,  or  ration- 
ality and  lihertij ;  and  that  these  two  facvlties  are  from, 
the  Lord  with  man.  That  man  has  the  faculty  of 
understanding,  which  is  rationality,  and  the  faculty 
of  thinking,  willing,  speaking  and  doing  that  which 
he  understands,  which  is  liberty;  and  that  these  two 
faculties  are  from  the  Lord  VvMth  man.  has  been  treated 
of  in  the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and 
Divine  Wisdom,  n.  264  to  270,  42-5  ;  and  also  above,  n. 
43,  44.  But  because  many  doubts  may  fall  in  con- 
cerning both  of  these  faculties,  when  there  is  thought 
concerning  them,  I  wish  in  this  outset  only  to  set  forth 
something  concerning  the  freedom  of  acting  according 
to  reason  with  man.  But  it  must  first  be  known  that 
all  freedom  is  of  love,  therefore  that  love  and  freedom 
are  one;  and  because  love  is  the  life  of  man,  freedom 
is  also  of  his  life;  for  all  the  delight  which  man  has 
is  from  his  love;  from  nowhere  else  is  any  delight 
given ;  and  to  act  from  the  delight  of  love  is  to  act 
from  freedom,  for  delight  leads  man  as  a  stream  does 
tViat  which  is  borne  of  it  according  to  its  current. 
Now  because  there  are  many  loves,  some  concordant 
and  some  discordant,  it  follows  that  there  are  in  like 
manner  many  freedoms :  but  in  general  there  are 
given  three  freedoms,  natural,  rational  and  spiritual. 
Natural  Freedom  every  man  has  hereditarily;  from 
this  man  loves  nothing  else  but  himself  and  the  world; 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  67 

his  first  life  is  nothing  else  ;  and  because  all  evils  exist 
from  these  two  loves,  and  thence  evils  also  become  of 
the  love,  it  follows  that  to  think  and  will  evils  is  his 
natural  freedom;  and  when  he  has  confirmed  them 
with  himself  by  reasonings,  that  he  does  them  from 
freedom  according  to  his  reason  :  to  do  so  is  from  his 
faculty  which  is  called  liberty,  and  to  confirm  them 
is  from  his  faculty  which  is  called  rationality.  As  for 
example,  it  is  from  man's  love  into  which  he  is  born 
that  he  wishes  to  commit  adultery,  to  defraud,  to 
blaspheme,  to  revenge;  and  when  he  confirms  these 
evils  with  himself,  and  thereby  makes  them  allowable, 
then  from  the  delight  of  the  love  of  them  he  thinks 
and  wills  them  freely  as  if  according  to  reason,  and 
as  far  as  the  civil  laws  do  not  oppose,  he  speaks  and 
does  them :  it  is  from  the  Divine  Providence  of  the 
Lord  that  it  is  allowed  man  to  act  thus,  because  he 
has  freedom  or  liberty.  In  this  freedom  man  is  from 
nature,  because  hereditarily ;  and  in  this  freedom  are 
those  who,  from  the  delight  of  the  love  of  self  and  the 
world,  have  confirmed  it  with  themselves  by  reason- 
ings. Rational  Freedom  is  from  the  love  of  fame  for 
the  sake  of  honor  or  for  the  sake  of  gain  ;  the  delight 
of  this  love  is  to  appear  in  the  external  form  as  a  moral 
man ;  and  because  he  loves  this  fame,  he  does  not 
defraud,  commit  adultery,  revenge,  nor  blaspheme; 
and  because  these  things  he  makes  of  his  reason,  he 
also  from  freedom  according  to  his  reason  acts  the 
sincere,  the  just,  the  chaste,  the  friendly;  yea,  he  can 
from  reason  speak  well  in  favor  of  them  :  but  if  his 
rational  is  only  natural,  and  not  at  the  same  time 
spiritual,  that  freedom  is  only  external  freedom,  but 
not  internal  freedom,  for  he,  nevertheless,  interiorly 
does  not  love  those  goods,  but  only  exteriorly  for  the 
sake  of  fame,  as  was  said  ;  wherefore  the  goods  which 
he  does  are  not  in  themselves  good :  he  can  also  say 
that  they  are  to  be  done  for  the  sake  of  the  public 
good,  but  he  does  not  say  this  from  the  love  of  the 
public  good,  but  from  the  love  of  his  honor  or  gain ; 
therefore  his  freedom  derives  nothing  from  the  love 


68  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

of  the  public  good ;  nor  does  his  reason,  because  this 
assents  to  the  love  :  wherefore  this  rational  freedom  is 
interiorly  natural  freedom.  This  freedom  also  is  from 
the  Divine  Providence  left  to  every  one.  Spiritual 
Freedom  is  from  the  love  of  eternal  life  :  into  this  love 
and  its  delight  no  other  one  comes  but  he  who  thinks 
evils  to  be  sins,  and  therefore  does  not  will  them,  and 
at  the  same  time  looks  to  the  Lord :  as  soon  as  man 
does  this,  he  is  in  that  freedom ;  for  no  one  is  able  not 
to  will  evils  because  they  are  sins,  and  therefore  not 
to  do  them,  unless  it  be  from  interior  or  superior  free- 
dom, which  is  from  his  interior  or  superior  love.  This 
freedom  does  not  appear  in  the  beginning  as  freedom, 
but  still  it  is ;  yet  it  afterwards  appears  so,  and  then 
acts  from  freedom  itself  according  to  reason  itself,  by 
thinking,  willing,  speaking  and  doing  good  and  truth. 
This  freedom  increases  as  natural  freedom  decreases 
and  becomes  a  servant ;  and  it  conjoins  itself  with 
rational  freedom,  and  purifies  it.  Every  one  can  come 
into  this  freedom,  provided  he  is  Avilling  to  think  that 
there  is  an  eternal  life,  and  that  the  delightful  and  the 
blessed  of  life  in  time  unto  time,  is  only  as  a  fleeting 
shadow  to  the  delightful  and  the  blessed  of  life  in  eter- 
nity to  eternity ;  and  man  can  think  this  if  he  wishes, 
because  he  has  rationality  and  liberty,  and  because 
the  Lord,  from  whom  these  two  faculties  are,  contin- 
ually gives  that  he  can. 

74.  II.  That  whatever  man  does  from  freedom^ 
whether  it  he  of  reason  or  not  of  reason^  provided  it  is 
according  to  his  reason,  appears  to  him  as  his.  What 
rationality  is,  and  what  liberty,  which  are  proper  to 
man,  cannot  be  more  clearly  known  than  by  compari- 
son of  men  with  beasts ;  for  the  latter  have  not  any 
rationality  or  faculty  of  understanding,  nor  any  liberty 
or  faculty  of  willing  freely,  and  hence  they  have  not 
understanding  and  will,  but  instead  of  understanding 
they  have  science,  and  instead  of  will  they  have  atfec- 
tion,  both  natural :  and  because  they  have  not  those 
two  faculties,  therefore  neither  have  they  thought,  but 
instead  of  thought  internal  sight,  which  makes  one 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  69 

with  their  external  sight  by  correspondence.  Every 
affection  has  its  mate  as  a  consort :  the  affection  of 
natural  love  has  science,  the  atfection  of  spiritual  love 
intelligence,  and  the  aflection  of  celestial  love  wisdom  : 
for  affection  without  its  mate  as  a  consort  is  not  any- 
thing; for  it  is  as  being  without  existing,  and  as  sub- 
stance without  form,  concerning  which  nothing  can 
be  predicated:  hence  it  is,  that  in  every  created  thing 
there  is  something  which  can  be  referred  to  the  mar- 
riage of  good  and  truth,  as  has  been  shown  above  in 
many  places :  in  beasts  there  is  the  marriage  of  aflec- 
tion and  science ;  the  affection  in  them  is  of  natural 
good,  and  the  science  is  of  natural  truth.  Now  because 
affection  and  science  with  them  act  altogether  as  one, 
and  their  affection  cannot  be  elevated  above  their  sci- 
ence, nor  can  tlieir  science  above  their  affection,  and 
if  elevated,  both  are  elevated  together,  and  because 
they  have  not  any  spiritual  mind,  into  which  or  into 
whose  light  and  heat  they  can  be  elevated,  therefore 
they  have  not  the  faculty  of  understanding,  or  ration- 
ality, nor  the  faculty  of  willing  freely,  or  liberty,  but 
mere  natural  affection  with  its  science :  the  natural 
affection  which  they  have  is  the  affection  of  nourish- 
ing themselves,  of  having  a  habitation,  of  having  off- 
spring, of  shunning  and  hating  harm,  with  all  the 
science  requisite  to  these  things :  because  such  is  the 
state  of  their  life,  they  cannot  think,  I  will  this  and  I 
do  not  will  it,  nor,  I  know  this  and  I  do  not  know  it, 
still  less,  I  understand  this  and  I  love  this;  but  they 
are  carried  along  of  their  aflection  by  science,  without 
rationality  and  liberty.  That  they  are  so  carried 
along,  is  not  from  the  natural  world,  but  from  the 
spiritual  world;  for  there  is  not  anything  given  in  the 
natural  world  unconnected  with  the  spiritual  world ; 
every  cause  producing  an  effect  is  thence  :  something 
on  this  subject  may  also  be  seen  below,  n.  96. 

75.  It  is  otherwise  with  man,  wlio  has  not  only  the 
affection  of  natural  love,  but  also  the  aflection  of  spir- 
itual love,  and  the  affection  of  celestial  love ;  for  the 
human  mind  is  of  three  degrees,  as  was  shown  in  the 


70  A.NGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

treatise  on  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  in  part 
third;  wherefore  man  can  be  elevated  from  natural 
science  into  spiritual  intelUgence,  and  thence  into 
celestial  wisdom,  and  from  these  two,  intelligence  and 
wisdom,  can  look  at  the  Lord,  and  so  be  conjoined  to 
Him,  by  which  he  lives  to  eternity;  yet  this  elevation 
as  to  affection  would  not  be  given,  unless  he  had  the 
faculty  of  elevating  the  understanding  from  rationality, 
and  of  willing  it  from  liberty.  Man  can  by  these  two 
faculties  think  within  himself  concerning  the  things 
which  he  perceives  by  the  senses  of  his  body  out  of 
himself,  and  can  also  think  superiorly  concerning 
those  things  which  he  thinks  inferiorly ;  for  every  one 
can  say,  This  I  have  thought  and  this  I  think,  also, 
This  1  have  willed  and  this  I  will,  and  also,  This  I 
understand  that  it  is  so,  and  this  I  love  because  it  is 
such,  and  so  on ;  hence  it  is  manifest,  that  man  thinks 
also  above  thought,  and  sees  it  as  below  himself:  man 
has  this  from  rationality  and  liberty;  from  rationality 
that  he  can  think  superiorly,  and  from  liberty  that 
from  affection  he  wills  so  to  think ;  for,  unless  he  had 
the  liberty  of  thinking  thus,  he  would  not  have  will, 
and  hence  neither  thought.  Wherefore  they  who  do 
not  wish  to  understand  anything  else  but  what  is  of 
the  world  and  its  nature,  and  not  what  moral  and 
spiritual  good  and  truth  are,  cannot  be  elevated  from 
science  into  intelligence,  still  less  into  wisdom,  for  they 
have  blocked  up  these  faculties  ;  wherefore  they  make 
themselves  no  more  men,  than  that  they  can  under- 
stand from  implanted  rationality  and  liberty  if  they 
will,  and  also  that  they  can  will.  From  these  two 
faculties  man  has  it  that  he  can  think,  and  from 
thought  speak :  in  the  rest  they  are  not  men,  but 
beasts ;  and  some,  from  the  abuse  of  these  faculties, 
worse  than  beasts. 

76.  Every  one  from  rationality  not  veiled  over  can 
see  or  comprehend  that  man,  without  the  appearance 
that  it  is  his,  cannot  be  in  any  affection  of  knowing, 
nor  in  any  affection  of  understanding,  for  all  delight 
and  pleasure,  thus  the  all  of  will,  is  from  affection 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  71 

which  is  of  love :  who  can  will  to  know  and  will  to 
understand  anything,  except  he  have  some  pleasure 
of  affection  7  and  who  can  have  that  pleasure  of  affec- 
tion, unless  that  with  which  he  is  affected  appears  as 
his  7  if  nothing  were  his,  but  all  another's,  that  is,  if 
any  one  from  his  affections  should  pour  anything  into 
the  mind  of  another,  who  had  no  affections  of  know- 
ing and  understanding  as  of  himself,  would  he  receive 
it?  yea,  could  he  receive?  would  he  not  be  like  that 
which  is  called  a  brute  and  a  block  ?  hence  it  may  be 
manifestly  evident,  that  although  all  things  flow  in, 
which  man  perceives  and  thence  thinks  and  knows, 
and  according  to  perception  wills  and  does,  still  it  is 
of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  that  it  should 
appear  as  man's;  for,  as  was  said,  otherwise  man 
would  receive  nothing,  thus  no  intelligence  and  wis- 
dom could  be  bestowed.  It  is  known  that  all  good 
and  truth  is  not  man's,  but  is  the  Lord's,  and  yet  that 
it  appears  to  man  as  his ;  and  because  all  good  and 
truth  so  appears,  so  also  do  all  things  of  the  church 
and  of  heaven,  and  hence  all  things  of  love  and  wis- 
dom, also  ,of  charity  and  faith,  so  appear ;  and  yet 
nothing  of  them  is  man's :  no  one  can  receive  them 
from  the  Lord,  unless  it  appears  to  him  that  he  per- 
ceives them  as  of  himself  From  these  things  may  be 
evident  the  truth  of  this  thing,  that  whatever  man 
does  from  freedom,  whether  it  is  of  reason  or  not  of 
reason,  provided  it  is  according  to  his  reason,  appears 
to  him  as  his. 

77.  Who  cannot,  from  his  faculty  which  is  called 
rationality,  understand  that  this  or  that  good  is  useful 
to  the  community,  and  that  this  or  that  evil  is  hurtful 
to  the  community?  as  that  justice,  sincerity,  and 
chastity  of  marriage,  are  useful  to  the  community; 
and  that  injustice,  insincerity,  and  scortation  with  the 
wives  of  others,  are  hurtful  to  the  community;  con- 
sequently that  these  evils  in  themselves  are  injuries, 
and  that  those  goods  in  themselves  are  benefits :  who 
therefore  cannot  make  them  of  his  reason,  provided  he 
wills?  he  has  rationahty,  and  he  has  liberty;  and  his 


72  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

rationality  and  liberty  is  unveiled,  appears,  is  mode- 
rated, and  gives  to  perceive  and  to  be  able,  so  far  as  he 
for  that  reason  shnns  those  evils  with  himself;  and  as 
far  as  he  does  this,  so  far  he  looks  to  those  goods,  as 
a  friend  to  friends.  From  these  things  then  man  can, 
from  his  faculty  which  is  called  rationality,  conclude 
as  to  the  goods  which  are  useful  to  the  community  in 
the  spiritual  world,  and  as  to  the  evils  which  are 
hurtful  there,  if  oidy  instead  of  evils  he  perceives  sins 
and  instead  of  goods  the  works  of  charity  :  this  also 
man  can  make  of  his  reason,  provided  he  wills;  since 
he  has  rationality  and  liberty,  and  his  rationahty  and 
liberty  are  unveiled,  appear,  are  moderated,  and  give 
to  perceive  and  to  be  able,  so  far  as  he  shuns  those 
evils  as  sins ;  and  as  far  as  he  does  this,  so  far  he 
looks  to  the  goods  of  charity,  as  a  neighbor  to  a  neigh- 
bor from  love  on  both  sides.  Now  because  the  Lord, 
for  the  sake  of  reception  and  conjunction,  wills  that 
whatever  man  does  freely  according  to  reason  should 
appear  to  him  as  his,  and  this  is  according  to  reason 
itself,  it  follows  that  man,  from  reason,  because  it  is 
his  eternal  happiness,  can  will,  and  from  imploring 
the  divine  power  of  the  Lord,  can  do  this. 

78.  III.  That  whatever  inari  does  from  freedom 
according  to  reason  is  appropriated  to  him  as  his,  and 
remains.  The  cause  is,  that  the  proprinm  of  man  and 
his  freedom  make  one:  man's  proprium  is  his  life; 
and  what  man  does  from  life,  this  he  does  from  free- 
dom :  also  man's  proprium  is  what  is  of  his  love,  for 
love  is  the  life  of  every  one  ;  and  what  man  does  from 
his  life's  love,  this  he  does  from  freedom.  The  reason 
that  man  does  it  from  freedom  according  to  thought, 
is  because  that  which  is  of  the  life  or  love  of  any  one 
is  also  thought,  and  is  confirmed  by  thought;  and 
when  it  is  confirmed,  then  he  does  it  from  freedom 
according  to  thought ;  for  whatever  man  does,  he  does 
from  the  will  through  the  understanding,  and  freedom 
is  of  the  will,  and  thought  is  of  the  understanding. 
Man  can  also  from  freedom  act  against  reason,  also 
from  non-freedom  according  to  reason ;  but  these  are 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  73 

not  appropriated  to  man  ;  they  are  only  of  his  mouth 
and  body,  and  not  of  his  spirit  or  heart;  yet  those 
things  which  are  of  his  spirit  or  heart,  provided  they 
also  become  of  his  mouth  and  body,  are  appropriated 
to  man :  that  it  is  so,  may  be  illustrated  by  many 
things,  but  this  is  not  for  this  place.  By  being  appro- 
priated to  man  is  understood,  to  enter  into  his  life  and 
to  become  of  his  life,  conseqnently  to  become  his  pro- 
prium.  But  that  there  is  not  any  proprinm  to  man, 
but  that  it  appears  to  him  as  if  there  was,  will  be  seen 
in  what  follows :  here  only,  that  all  good  which  man 
does  from  freedom  according  to  reason  is  appropriated 
to  him  as  his  own,  because  in  thinking,  willing,  speak- 
ing, and  doing,  it  appears  to  him  as  his  own ;  but  yet 
that  the  good  is  not  man's,  but  is  the  Lord's  with  man, 
may  be  seen  above,  76.  But  how  evil  is  appropriated 
to  man,  will  be  seen  in  its  appropriate  article. 

79.  It  is  said  that  that  which  man  does  from  free- 
dom according  to  his  thought  remains  also;  for  nothing 
whatever,  which  man  has  appropriated  to  himself,  can 
be  eradicated ;  for  it  has  become  of  his  love  and  at  the 
same  time  of  his  reason,  or  of  his  will  and  at  the  same 
time  of  his  understanding,  and  hence  of  his  life :  this 
can  indeed  be  removed,  but  still  not  cast  out;  and 
when  it  is  removed,  it  is  transferred  as  from  the  centre 
to  the  circumferences,  and  there  stays :  this  is  under- 
stood by  its  remaining.  As  for  example,  if  man  in 
boyhood  and  youth  has  appropriated  to  himself  a 
certain  evil  by  doing  it  from  the  delight  of  his  love, 
as  if  he  has  defrauded,  blasphemed,  revenged,  com- 
mitted whoredom,  then  because  he  had  done  them 
from  freedom  according  to  thought,  he  has  also  appro- 
priated them  to  himself;  but  if  afterwards  he  repents, 
shuns  them,  and  looks  upon  them  as  sins  which  are 
to  be  loathed,  and  thus  from  freedom  according  to 
reason  desists  from  them,  then  are  appropriated  to 
him  the  goods  to  which  those  evils  are  opposite  :  these 
goods  then  make  the  centre,  and  remove  the  evils 
towards  the  circumferences,  farther  and  farther  ac- 
cording to  the  aversion  and  loathing  of  them;  yet 
7 


74  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

Still  they  cannot  thus  be  cast  out,  so  that  they  may 
be  said  to  be  extirpated;  but  still  by  that  removal 
they  may  appear  as  extirpated,  which  is  done  by 
man's  being  held  back  from  evils  by  the  Lord,  and 
held  in  goods :  this  is  done  with  all  hereditary  evil, 
and  in  like  manner  with  all  the  actual  evil  of  man. 
This  also  I  have  seen  proved  by  experience  with  some 
in  heaven,  who,  because  they  were  held  by  the  Lord 
in  good,  considered  themselves  to  be  without  evils ; 
but  lest  they  should  believe  the  good  in  which  they 
were  was  proper  to  them,  they  were  sent  down  from 
heaven  and  sent  back  into  their  own  evils,  until  they 
should  acknowledge  that  they  were  in  evils  from 
themselves,  but  in  goods  from  the  Lord  ;  after  which 
acknowledgment  they  were  led  back  into  heaven. 
Let  it  therefore  be  known,  that  those  goods  are  no 
otherwise  appropriated  to  man  than  that  they  are 
constantly  of  the  Lord  with  man;  and  that  as  far  as 
man  acknowledges  this,  so  far  the  liOrd  gives  that 
good  may  appear  to  man  as  his ;  that  is,  that  it  may 
appear  to  man  that  he  loves  his  neighbor  or  has 
charity  as  of  himself,  believes  or  has  faith  as  of  him- 
self, does  good  and  understands  truth,  thus  is  wise,  as 
of  himself;  from  which  one  illustrated  can  see  of 
what  quality  and  how  strong  the  appearance  is,  in 
which  the  Lord  wills  that  man  should  be;  and  the 
Lord  wills  this  for  the  sake  of  his  salvation,  for  no 
one  can  be  saved  without  that  appearance.  Concern- 
ing these  things  may  also  be  seen  those  which  were 
shown  above,  n.  42  to  45. 

80.  Nothing  is  appropriated  to  man  which  he  only 
thinks ;  yea,  neither  what  he  thinks  to  will,  unless  he 
at  the  same  time  so  far  wills  it,  that  when  opportunity 
is  given  he  also  does  it :  the  reason  is,  because  while 
man  does  it  thence,  he  does  it  from  the  will  through 
the  understanding,  or  from  the  affection  of  the  will 
through  the  thought  of  the  understanding:  but  as 
long  as  it  is  of  thought  alone,  it  cannot  be  appro- 
priated ;  because  the  understanding  does  not  conjoin 
itself  with  the  will,  or  the  thought  of  the  understand- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  75 

ing  with  the  affection  of  the  will,  but  the  will  and  its 
affection  conjoins  itself  with  the  understanding  and  its 
thought,  as  was  shown  in  many  places  in  the  treatise 
concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  in 
part  fifth.  This  is  understood  by  these  words  of  the 
Lord  :  '■'■Not  what  enters  into  the  inoutli^  renders  man 
unclean,  hut  what  goes  out  of  the  heart  through  the 
•mouth  renders  man  unclean,^''  Matt.  xv.  11,  17,  18, 
19 :  by  the  mouth  in  the  spiritual  sense  is  understood 
thought,  since  thought  speaks  through  the  mouth,  and 
by  the  heart  in  that  sense  is  understood  affection 
which  is  of  love  ;  if  man  thinks  and  speaks  from  this, 
then  he  renders  himself  unclean :  by  the  heart  is  also 
signified  affection  which  is  of  the  love  or  will,  and  by 
the  mouth,  thought  which  is  of  the  understanding,  in 
Luke,  vi.  45. 

81.  The  evils  which  man  believes  allowable,  al- 
though he  does  not  do  them,  he  also  appropriates  to 
himself;  for  what  is  allowable  in  thought  is  from,  the 
will,  for  there  is  consent;  wherefore  when  man  believes 
any  evil  allowable,  he  looses  the  internal  bond  in  favor 
of  it,  and  is  held  back  from  doing  it  only  by  external 
bonds,  which  are  fears ;  and  because  the  spirit  of  man 
favors  that  evil,  therefore  the  external  bonds  being 
removed,  he  does  it  as  allowable,  and  in  the  mean 
time  continually  does  it  in  his  spirit :  but  concerning 
this  thing,  see  the  Doctrine  of  Life  for  the  New 
Jerusalem,  n.  108  to  113. 

82.  IV.  That  by  these  tv)o  faculties  man  is  reform,ed 
and  regenerated  by  the  Lord,  and  that  without  them, 
he  could  not  be  reformed  and  regenerated.  The  Lord 
teaches  that  unless  one  is  born  anew,  he  cannot  see 
the  kingdom  of  God:  John  iii.  3,  5,  7;  but  what  it  is 
to  be  born  anew  or  regenerated,  is  known  to  few  :  the 
reason  is,  because  it  has  not  been  known  what  love 
and  charity  is,  and  hence  neither  what  faith  is;  for 
he  who  does  not  know  what  love  and  charity  is,  can- 
not know  what  faith  is,  since  charity  and  faith  make 
one,  as  good  and  truth  do,  or  as  affection  Avhich  is  of 
the  will  and  thought  which  is  of  the  understanding  j 


76  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

which  union  may  be  seen  treated  of  in  the  treatise 
concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  427 
to  431 ;  also  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem, 
n,  13  to  24 ;  and  above,  n.  3  to  20. 

83.  The  reason  that  no  one  can  come  into  the  king- 
dom of  God  unless  he  is  born  anew,  is  because  man 
hereditarily  from  his  parents  is  born  into  evils  of  every 
kind,  with  the  faculty  that  by  the  removal  of  those 
evils  he  may  become  spiritual ;  and  unless  he  does 
become  spiritual,  he  cannot  come  into  heaven :  from 
natural  to  become  spiritual,  is  to  be  born  again  or 
regenerated.  But  that  it  may  be  known  how  man  is 
regenerated,  these  three  things  are  to  be  considered: 
what  his  first  state  is,  which  is  a  state  of  damnation ; 
what  his  second  state  is,  which  is  a  state  of  reforma- 
tion ;  and  what  his  third  state  is,  which  is  a  state  of 
regeneration.  Man's  first  state^  xohich  is  a  state  of 
damnation,  every  man  has  hereditarily  from  his 
parents ;  for  man  is  thxince  born  into  the  love  of  self 
and  into  the  love  of  the  world,  and.  from  these  as 
fountains  into  evils  of  every  kind:  the  delights  of 
these  loves  are  the  things  by  which  he  is  led,  and 
the  delights  cause  that  he  may  know  that  he  is  in 
evils ;'  for  every  delight  of  love  is  no  otherwise  felt 
than  as  good ;  wherefore  also,  unless  man  is  regene- 
rated, he  does  not  know  otherwise  than  that  to  love 
himself  and  the  world  above  all  things  is  good  itself, 
and  that  to  rule  over  all  and  to  possess  the  wealth  of 
all  others  is  the  highest  good :  hence  also  is  all  evil, 
for  he  looks  at  no  other  from  love  but  himself  alone ; 
and  if  he  looks  at  another  from  love,  it  is  as  a  devil 
at  a  devil,  and  as  a  thief  at  a  thief,  when  they  act  as 
one.  They  who  from  the  delight  of  them  confirm 
these  loves  and  the  evils  welling  forth  from  them, 
remain  natural  and  become  corporeal  sensual ;  and 
in  their  own  thought,  which  is  that  of  their  spirit, 
they  are  insane  ;  but  still,  while  they  are  in  the  world, 
they  can  speak  and  act  rationally  and  wisely ;  for 
they  are  men,  and  hence  have  rationality  and  liberty; 
but  this  too  they  do  from  the  love  of  self  and  the  world. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  T7 

These,  after  death,  when  they  become  spirits,  cannot 
have  any  other  dehght  than  that  which  they  had  in 
their  spirit  in  the  world;  and  that  dehght  is  the  dehght 
of  infernal  love,  which  is  turned  into  the  undelightful, 
the  dolorific  and  the  direful,  which  is  understood  in 
the  AVord  by  torment  and  hell-fire.     From  these  things 
it  is  manifest,  that  the  first  state  of  man  is  a  state  of 
damnation,  and  that  they  are  in  it  who  do  not  suffer 
themselves   to  be   regenerated.     Mmi's  second  state, 
loliich  is  a  state  of  refonnation,  is  when  man  begins 
to  think  concerning  heaven  from  the  joy  there,  and 
thus  concerning  God,  from  whom  is  the  joy  of  heaven 
to  him  :  but  he  thinks  this  first  from  the  delight  of  his 
love ;  this  delight  is  to  him  the  joy  of  heaven  :  but  as 
long  as   the  delight  of  that  love,   together  with  the 
delight  of  the  evils  thence  welling,  reigns,  he  cannot 
understand  anything  else  than  that  to  come  to  heaven 
is  to  pour  forth  prayers,  to  listen  to  preachings,  to  go 
to  the  Holy  >Supper,  to  give  to  the  poor,  to  help  the 
needy,  to  expend  money  on  churches,  to  confer  endow- 
ments upon  hospitals,  and  other  like  things  :  in  this 
state  man   knows  no  otherwise  than  that  merely  to 
think    those    things    which    religion    teaches    saves, 
whether  it  is  that  which  is  called  faith,  or  that  which 
is  called  faith  and  charity :  that  he  does  not  under- 
stand otherwise  than  that  to  think  those  things  saves, 
is  because  he  thinks  nothing  concerning  the  evils  in 
the  delights  of  which  he  is,  and  as  long  as  the  delights 
of  them  remain,  the  evils  also  remain  :  their  delights 
are  from  the  concupiscence  of  them,  which  continually 
breathes  after  them,  and  also  produces  them,  provided 
no  fear  restrains.     As  long  as  the  evils  remain  in  the 
concupiscences  of  their  love  and  the  delights  thence, 
there  is  no  faith,  charity,  piety,  or  worship,  except 
only  in  externals,  which  appear  before  the  world  as 
if  they  were  so,  but  still  are  not :  they  may  be  com- 
pared to  waters  emanating  from  an  impure  fountain, 
which  cannot  be  drunk.     As  long  as  man  is  such  that 
he  thinks  concerning  heaven  and  concerning  God  from 
rehgion,  and  nothing  concerning  evils  as  sins,  he  is 
7# 


78  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

Still  in  the  first  state;  yet  he  comes  into  the  second 
state,  or  that  of  reformation,  when  he  begins  to  think 
that  there  is  sin,  and  more  that  this  and  that  is  sin, 
and  when  he  explores  it  a  little  with  himself,  and  does 
not  will  it.  Man's  third  state,  which  is  a  state  of 
regeneration,  follows  and  is  continued  from  the  former 
state,  begins  when  man  desists  from  evils  as  sins,  pro- 
gresses as  he  shuns  them,  and  is  perfected  as  he  fights 
against  them;  and  then,  as  he  conquers  from  the 
Lord,  he  is  regenerated.  With  him  who  is  regene- 
rated the  order  of  life  is  turned;  from  natural  it 
becomes  spiritual,  for  the  natural  separated  from  the 
spiritual  is  contrary  to  order,  and  the  spiritual  is 
according  to  order;  wherefore  man  regenerated  acts 
from  charity,  and  makes  that  of  his  faith  which  is  of 
his  charity.  But  still  he  no  more  becomes  spiritual 
than  as  he  is  in  truths;  for  every  man  is  regenerated 
by  truths  and  by  a  life  according  to  them ;  for  by 
truths  he  knows  life,  and  by  life  he  does  them ;  thus 
he  conjoins  good  and  truth,  which  is  the  spiritual 
marriage,  in  which  is  heaven. 

85.  That  man  by  those  two  faculties,  which  are 
called  rationality  and  liberty,  is  reformed  and  regene- 
rated, and  that  without  them  he  cannot  be  reformed 
and  regenerated,  is  because  by  rationality  he  can 
understand  and  know  what  is  evil  and  what  good, 
and  thence  what  is  false  and  what  true;  and  by 
liberty  he  can  will  that  which  he  understands  and 
knows:  but  as  long  as  the  delight  of  the  love  of  evil 
reigns,  he  cannot  freely  will  good  and  truth,  and 
make  them  of  his  reason;  wherefore  he  cannot  appro- 
priate them  to  himself;  for,  as  was  shown  above,  the 
things  which  man  does  from  freedom  according  to 
reason,  are  appropriated  to  him  as  his ;  and  unless 
they  are  appropriated  as  his,  man  is  not  reformed  and 
regenerated:  and  he  then  first  acts  from  the  delight 
of  the  love  of  good  and  truth,  when  the  delight  of  the 
love  of  evil  and  falsity  is  removed ;  for  two  delights 
of  love  opposite  to  each  other  are  not  given  at  the 
same  time :  to  act  from  the  delight  of  love  is  to  act 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  79 

from  freedom,  and  because  reason  favors  the  love,  it  is 
also  according  to  reason. 

86.  Because  man,  as  well  the  evil  as  the  good,  has 
rationality  and  Hberty,  he  can,  the  evil  as  well  as  the 
good,  nnderstand  truth  and  do  good;  yet  the  evil  can- 
not from  freedom  according  to  reason,  but  the  good 
can ;  because  the  evil  is  in  tlie  delight  of  the  love  of 
evil,  but  the  good  in  the  delight  of  the  love  of  good ; 
wherefore  the  truth  which  the  evil  man  understands, 
and  the  good  which  he  does,  are  not  appropriated  to 
him,  but  they  are  appropriated  to  the  good  man  ;  and 
without  appropriation  as  his,  reformation  and  regenera- 
tion are  not  given ;  for,  with  the  evil,  evils  with  falsi- 
ties are  as  in  the  centre,  and  goods  with  truths  in  the 
circumference ;  but  with  the  good,  goods  with  truths 
are  as  in  the  centre,  and  evils  with  falsities  in  the  cir- 
cumference ;  and  in  both  cases  the  things  which  are 
of  the  centre  pour  themselves  forth  even  to  the  circum- 
ference, as  heat  from  fire  in  the  centre,  and  cold  from 
frost  in  the  centre;  thus  with  the  evil  the  goods  in  the 
circumference  are  defiled  from  the  evils  in  the  centre, 
and  with  the  good  the  evils  in  the  circumference  grow 
mild  from  the  goods  in  the  centre ;  which  is  the  reason 
that  evils  do  not  damn  the  regenerate,  and  goods  do 
not  save  the  unregenerate. 

87.  V.  That  man  by  means  of  these  two  faculties 
can  be  so  far  reformed  and  regenerated,  as  he  ca7i  be 
led  by  them  to  acknowledge  that  all  the  truth  and  good 
which  he  thinks  and  does  is  from  the  Lord.,  and  not 
from  himself.  What  reformation  is,  and  what  regen- 
eration, has  been  told  just  above ;  also  that  man  is 
reformed  and  regenerated  by  those  two  faculties, 
which  are  called  rationality  and  liberty;  and  because 
this  is  done  through  them,  therefore  a  few  things 
shall  still  be  said  concerning  them.  Man  has  from 
rationality  that  he  can  understand,  and  from  liberty 
that  he  can  will,  both  as  from  himself;  yet  the  ability 
to  will  good  from  freedom,  and  thence  to  do  it  accord- 
ing to  reason,  he  has  not  unless  regenerated  :  the  evil 
can  from  freedom  only  will   evil,  and  according   to 


80  ANGELIC    AVISDOM    CONCERNING 

thought,  which  by  confirmations  he  makes  as  of  rea- 
son, do  it ;  for  evil  can  be  confirmed  equally  as  good, 
but  evil  by  fallacies  and  appearances,  which  while 
they  are  confirmed  become  falsities ;  and  when  it  is 
confirmed,  it  appears  as  of  reason. 

88.  Every  one  who  has  any  thought  from  interior 
understanding,  can  see  that  ability  to  will  and  ability 
to  understand  is  not  from  man,  but  from  Him  to  whom 
ability  itself  is,  that  is,  to  whom  ability  is  in  its 
essence  :  think  only  whence  ability  is ;  is  it  not  from 
Him  to  whom  it  is  in  its  very  power,  that  is,  to  whom 
it  is  in  Himself,  and  thus  from  Himself?  wherefore 
ability  in  itself  is  the  Divine.  To  all  ability  there 
must  be  supply  [copia],  which  must  be  given,  and 
thus  determination  from  an  interior  or  superior  self: 
the  eye  cannot  see  from  itself,  nor  the  ear  hear  from 
itself,  neither  the  mouth  speak  from  itself,  or  the 
hand  do  from  itself;  supply  and  thence  determination 
must  be  from  the  mind :  neither  can  the  mind  think 
and  will  this  or  that  from  itself,  unless  there  be  some- 
thing more  interior  or  superior  which  determines  the 
mind  to  it ;  it  is  the  like  with  the  ability  to  understand 
and  the  ability  to  will ;  these  cannot  be  given  from 
any  other  than  from  Him  who  in  Himself  is  able  to 
will  and  is  able  to  understand.  From  Avhich  it  is 
manifest  that  these  two  faculties,  which  are  called 
rationality  and  liberty,  are  from  the  Lord,  and  not 
from  man ;  and  because  they  are  from  the  Lord,  it 
follows  that  man  wills  nothing  whatever  from  himself, 
nor  understands  from  himself,  but  only  as  from  him- 
self That  it  is  so,  every  one  can  confirm  with  him- 
self, who  knows  and  believes  that  the  will  of  all  good 
and  the  understanding  of  all  truth  is  from  the  Lord 
and  not  from  man.  That  man  cannot  take  anything 
from,  himself,  nor  do  anything  from  himself,  the 
Word  teaches  in  John  iii.  27,  xv.  5. 

89.  Now  because  all  willing  is  from  love,  and  all 
understanding  is  from  wisdom,  it  follows  that  the 
ability  to  will  is  from  the  Divine  Love,  and  the  ability 
to  understand  is  from  the  Divine  Wisdom,  thus  both 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  81 

from  the  Lord,  who  is  the  Divine  Love  itself  and  the 
Divine  Wisdom  itself  Hence  it  flows,  that  to  act 
from  freedom  according  to  reason  is  not  from  else- 
where. Every  one  acts  according  to  reason,  because 
freedom,  like  love,  cannot  be  separated  from  willing; 
but  with  man  there  is  given  interior  willing  and  exte- 
rior Avilling;  and  he  can  act  according  to  the  exterior, 
and  not  at  the  same  time  according  to  the  interior; 
thus  he  acts  the  hypocrite  and  the  flatterer ;  and  still 
the  exterior  willing  is  from  freedom,  because  from  the 
love  of  appearing  otherwise  than  he  is,  or  from  the 
love  of  some  evil  which  he  intends  from  a  love  of  the 
interior  will  :  yet,  as  was  said  above,  the  evil  cannot 
from  freedom  according  to  his  reason  do  anything  but 
evil,  but  cannot  from  freedom  according  to  reason  do 
good;  he  can  indeed  do  this,  but  not  from  interior 
freedom,  which  is  his  proper  freedom,  from  which 
exterior  freedom  derives  that  it  is  not  good. 

90.  It  is  said  that  man  can  so  far  be  reformed  and 
regenerated,  as  he  can  by  these  two  faculties  be  led  to 
acknowledge  that  all  the  good  and  all  the  truth  which 
he  thinks  and  does  is  from  the  Lord,  and  not  from 
himself:  that  man  cannot  acknowledge  this,  except 
by  these  two  faculties,  is  because  these  two  faculties 
are  from  the  Lord,  and  are  the  Lord's  with  man,  as 
is  manifest  from  the  things  said  above;  wherefore  it 
follows  that  man  cannot  do  this  from  himself,  but 
from  the  Lord;  yet  still  he  can,  as  of  himself;  this 
the  Lord  gives  to  every  one  :  suppose  that  he  believes 
from  himself:  still,  when  he  is  wise,  he  acknowledges 
that  it  is  not  from  himself:  otherwise  the  truth  which 
he  thinks,  and  the  good  which  he  does,  are  not  true 
and  good  in  themselves,  for  there  is  man  in  them,  and 
not  the  Lord  in  them ;  and  good  in  which  man  is,  if 
it  is  for  the  sake  of  salvation,  is  meritorious  good  ;  but 
good  in  which  the  Lord  is,  is  not  meritorious. 

91.  But  that  the  acknowledgment  of  the  Lord, 
and  the  acknowledgment  that  all  good  and  truth  is 
from  Him,  causes  man  to  be  reformed  and  regenerated, 
is   what  few   can  see  with  the  understanding;  for  it 


82  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

may  be  thought,  what  does  that  acknowledgment  do, 
since  the  Lord  is  omnipotent,  and  wills  the  salvation 
of  all,  and  hence  that  He  is  able  and  willing,  provided 
He  is  moved  to  mercy ;  but  to  think  thus  is  not  from 
the  Lord,  thus  neither  is  it  from  the  interior  sight  of 
the  understanding,  that  is,  from  any  illustration; 
wherefore,  what  acknowledgment  operates  shall  here 
be  told  in  few  words.  In  the  spiritual  world,  where 
spaces  are  only  appearances,  wisdom  makes  presence, 
and  love  makes  conjunction;  and  the  reverse :  there 
is  given  an  acknowledgment  of  the  Lord  from  wis- 
dom, and  there  is  given  an  acknowledgment  of  the 
Lord  from  love ;  the  acknowledgment  of  the  Lord 
from  wisdom,  which  viewed  in  itself  is  only  know- 
ledge, is  given  from  doctrine ;  and  the  acknowledg- 
ment of  the  Lord  from  love  is  given  from  a  life  accord- 
ing to  it ;  the  latter  gives  conjunction,  but  the  former 
presence ;  which  is  the  cause  that  they  who  reject  the 
doctrine  concerning  the  Lord,  remove  themselves  from 
Him ;  and  because  they  also  reject  life,  they  separate 
themselves  from  Him :  but  they  who  do  not  reject 
doctrine,  but  life,  are  present,  yet  still  separated :  they 
are  as  friends  who  converse  with  each  other,  but  do 
not  mutually  love  each  other;  and  they  are  as  two, 
one  of  whom  speaks  as  a  friend  with  the  other,  but 
hates  him  as  an  enemy.  That  it  is  so,  is  also  known 
from  the  common  idea,  that  he  who  teaches  well  and 
lives  well  is  saved,  but  not  he  who  teaches  well  and 
lives  ill ;  also  that  he  who  does  not  acknowledge  God 
cannot  be  saved.  From  these  things  it  is  manifest, 
what  kind  of  religion  it  is,  to  think  concerning  the 
Lord  from  faith,  as  it  is  called,  and  not  to  do  anything 
from  charity ;  wherefore  the  Lord  says,  Why  call  ye 
Me  Lord,  Lord,  and  do  not  the  things  tvhich  I  say  7 
every  one  who  cometh  to  Me,  and  heareth  my  words^ 
and  doeth  them,  is  like  to  a  inan  building  a  house  ;  and 
he  laid  the  foundation  upon  a  rock :  but  he  who  hear- 
eth and  doeth  not,  is  like  to  a  man  building  a  house 
upon  the  ground  without  a  foundation.  Luke  vi.  46 
to  49. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  83 

92.  VI.  That  the  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  man^ 
and  the  reciprocal  conjimctio?i  of  man  with  the  Lord, 
takes  j)lace  by  these  tivo  faculties.  Conjunction  with 
the  Lord  and  regeneration  are  one,  for  as  far  as  any 
one  is  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  so  far  he  is  regenerated ; 
wherefore  all  that  has  been  said  above  concerning 
regeneration,  may  be  said  concerning  conjunction ; 
and  what  is  here  said  concerning  conjunction  may  be 
said  concerning  regeneration.  That  there  is  conjunc- 
tion of  the  Lord  with  man  and  a  reciprocal  conjunc- 
tion of  man  with  the  Lord,  the  Lord  Himself  teaches 
in  John :  Remain  in  ik/e,  and  I  in  you :  he  who  re- 
inaineth  in  Me,  and  I  in  him.,  beareth  much  fruit: 
XV.  4,  5.  Lt  that  day  ye  shall  know  that  ye  are  in  Me 
and  I  in  you  :  xiv.  20.  Every  one  can  see  from  rea- 
son alone,  that  there  is  not  any  conjunction  of  minds 
unless  it  is  also  reciprocal,  and  that  the  reciprocal 
conjoins :  if  any  one  loves  another  and  is  not  loved  in 
return,  then  as  the  one  draws  near  the  other  recedes :, 
but  if  he  is  loved  in  return,  then  as  the  one  comes 
near  the  other  also  comes  near,  and  conjunction  takes 
place  :  love  also  wills  to  be  loved ;  this  is  implanted  in 
it;  and  as  far  as  it  is  loved  again,  so  far  it  is  in  itself 
and  in  its  delight.  From  these  things  it  is  manifest, 
that  if  the  Lord  only  loves  man,  and  is  not  loved  in 
return  by  man,  the  Lord  would  approach  and  man 
would  recede :  thus  the  Lord  would  continually  will 
to  come  to  man  and  to  enter  in  to  him,  and  man  would 
turn  himself  back  and  go  away :  with  those  who  are 
in  hell  it  is  so,  but  with  those  who  are  in  heaven  there 
is  mutual  conjunction.  Since  the  Lord  wills  conjunc- 
tion with  man,  for  the  sake  of  his  salvation.  He  also 
provides  that  there  should  be  with  man  a  reciprocal ; 
the  reciprocal  with  man  is,  that  the  good  which  he 
wills  and  does  from  freedom,  and  the  truth  which  he 
thinks  and  speaks  from  that  willing  according  to  rea- 
son, appear  as  from  him ;  and  that  that  good  in  his 
will,  and  that  truth  in  his  understanding,  appear  as 
his ;  yea,  they  appear  to  man  as  from  himself  and  as 
his,  altogether  as  if  they  were  his ;  there  is  no  differ- 


84  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

ence;  observe  whether  any  one  perceives  otherwise 
by  every  sense :  concerning  that  appearance  as  from 
himself,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  74  to  77;  and  concern- 
ing appropriation  as  his,  n.  78  to  81  :  the  only  differ- 
ence is,  that  man  ought  to  acknowledge  that  he  does 
not  do  good  and  think  truth  from  himself,  but  from 
the  Lord ;  and  hence  that  the  good  which  he  does, 
and  the  truth  which  he  thinks,  are  not  his :  to  think 
thus,  from  some  love  of  the  will,  because  it  is  the 
truth,  makes  conjunction ;  for  so  man  beholds  the 
Lord,  and  the  Lord  beholds  man. 

93.  What  the  diiference  is  between  those  who  be- 
lieve all  good  to  be  from  the  Lord,  and  those  who 
believe  good  to  be  from  themselves,  it  has  been  given 
both  to  hear  and  see  in  the  spiritual  world :  they  who 
believe  good  to  be  from  the  Lord,  turn  the  face  to  Him, 
and  receive  the  delight  and  the  blessedness  of  good : 
but  they  who  believe  good  to  be  from  themselves,  look 
at  themselves,  and  think  with  themselves  that  they 
have  merited ;  and  because  they  look  at  themselves, 
they  cannot  do  otherwise  than  perceive  the  delight  of 
their  good,  which  is  not  the  delight  of  good,  but  the 
delight  of  evil;  for  the  proprium  of  man  is  evil;  and 
the  delight  of  evil  perceived  as  good,  is  hell.  They 
who  have  done  good,  and  have  believed  it  to  be  from 
themselves,  if  they  do  not  after  death  receive  this 
truth,  that  all  good  is  from  the  Lord,  mingle  them- 
selves with  the  infernal  genii,  and  at  length  make  one 
with  them:  but  they  who  receive  that  truth  are 
reformed;  yet  no  others  receive  it,  but  they  who  have 
looked  to  God  in  their  life  :  to  look  to  God  in  their  life, 
is  nothing  else  than  to  shun  evils  as  sins. 

94.  The  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  man  and  the 
reciprocal  conjunction  of  man  with  the  Lord  takes 
place  by  loving  the  neighbor  as  one's  self,  and  by 
loving  the  Lord  above  all  things  :  to  love  the  neighbor 
as  one's  self  is  nothing  else  than  not  to  act  dishonestly 
and  unjustly  with  him,  not  to  have  him  in  hatred  and 
burn  with  revenge  against  him,  not  to  revile  and  de- 
fame him,  not  to  commit  adultery  with  his  wife,  and 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE,  85 

not  to  do  other  like  things  against  him :  who  cannot 
see,  that  they  who  do  such  things,  do  not  love  the 
neighbor  as  themselves ;  but  they  who  do  not  do  such 
things  because  they  are  evils  against  the  neighbor,  and 
at  the  same  time  sins  against  the  Lord,  act  sincerely, 
justly,  friendly  and  faithfully  with  the  neighbor:  and 
because  the  Lord  does  in  like  manner,  reciprocal  con- 
junction takes  place;  and  when  conjunction  is  recip- 
rocal, then  whatever  man  does  to  the  neighbor,  he 
does  from  the  Lord,  and  whatever  he  does  from  the 
Lord,  is  good ;  and  then  the  neighbor  is  not  a  person 
to  him,  but  good  in  a  person.  To  love  the  Lord  above 
all  things,  is  nothing  else  than  not  to  do  evil  to  the 
Word,  because  the  Lord  is  in  the  Word ;  nor  to  do 
evil  to  the  holy  things  of  the  church,  because  the  Lord 
is  in  the  holy  things  of  the  church ;  nor  to  do  evil  to 
the  soul  of  any  one.  because  the  soul  of  every  one  is 
in  the  hand  of  the  Lord :  they  who  shun  these  evils 
as  enormous  sins,  love  the  Lord  above  all  things;  but 
no  others  can  do  this,  except  they  who  love  the  neigh- 
bor as  themselves ;  for  the  two  things  are  conjoined. 

95.  Since  there  is  a  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with 
man  and  of  man  with  the  Lord,  therefore  there  are 
two  tables  of  the  law,  one  for  the  Lord,  and  the  other 
for  man  :  as  far  as  man  as  of  himself  does  the  laws  of 
his  table,  so  far  the  Lord  gives  that  he  may  do  the 
laws  of  His  table  :  but  man  who  does  not  do  the  laws 
of  his  table,  which  all  have  reference  to  the  love  of 
the  neighbor,  cannot  do  the  laws  of  the  Lord's  table, 
which  all  have  reference  to  the  love  of  the  Lord  :  how 
can  a  murderer,  a  thief,  an  adulterer,  and  a  false  wit- 
ness, love  the  Lord  ?  does  not  reason  dictate,  that  to 
be  such,  and  to  love  God,  are  contradictory?  is  not 
the  devil  such  ?  can  he  do  otherwise  than  have  God 
in  hatred?  But  when  man  loathes  murders,  adul- 
teries, thefts,  and  false  testimonies,  as  infernal,  then 
he  can ;  for  then  he  turns  his  face  away  from  the 
devil  to  the  Lord ;  and  when  he  turns  his  face  to  the 
Lord,  there  is  given  to  him  love  and  wisdom ;  these 
enter  man  through  the  face,  and  not  through  the  back 
8 


86  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

of  his  neck.  Because  conjunction  with  the  Lord  takes 
place  thus  and  not  otherwise,  therefore  those  tables 
are  called  a  covenant,  and  a  covenant  is  between  two, 
96.  VII.  That  the  Lord  guards  these  tiao  faculties 
with  7nan  inviolate  and  as  sacred^  in  all  tJie  course  of 
His  Divine  Providence.  The  reasons  are,  that  with- 
out these  two  faculties  man  would  not  have  under- 
standing and  will,  and  thus  would  not  be  man ;  also, 
that  without  these  two  faculties  man  could  not  be 
conjoined  to  the  Lord,  and  thus  be  reformed  and 
regenerated;  as  also,  that  without  these  two  faculties 
man  would  not  have  immortality  and  eternal  life. 
That  it  is  so,  may  indeed  be  seen  from  the  knowledge 
of  what  liberty  and  rationality,  which  are  these  two 
faculties,  are,  which  was  given  in  the  preceding  pages; 
but  not  clearly,  unless  those  things  are  set  before  the 
sight  as  conclusions  ;  wherefore  they  are  to  be  illustra- 
ted. That  without  these  two  faculties  man  woidd  not 
have  tvill  and  understanding ;  for  man  has  will  from 
nothing  else,  than  that  he  can  will  freely  as  of  himself; 
and  to  will  freely  as  of  himself,  is  from  the  faculty 
continually  given  to  him  by  the  Lord,  which  is  called 
liberty:  and  man  has  understanding  from  nothing  else, 
than  that  he  can  as  of  himself  understand  whether  a 
thing  is  of  reason  or  not;  and  to  understand  whether 
it  is  of  reason  or  not,  is  from  the  other  faculty  contin- 
ually given  to  him  by  the  Lord,  which  is  called  ration- 
ality. These  faculties  conjoin  themselves  in  man  as 
will  and  understanding  do ;  viz.,  that  because  man  can 
will,  he  can  also  understand ;  for  willing  is  not  given 
without  understanding ;  to  understand  is  its  partner  or 
mate,  without  which  [</«a,  fem.]  it  cannot  be;  where- 
fore with  the  faculty  which  is  called  liberty,  there  is 
given  the  faculty  which  is  called  rationality :  also  if 
you  take  away  willing  from  understanding  you  under- 
stand nothing ;  and  as  far  as  you  will,  so  far  you  can 
understand,  provided  there  be  present  or  be  at  the 
same  time  opened  the  supports  which  are  called  know- 
ledges ;  for  these  are  as  instruments  to  a  workman  :  it 
is  said,  as  far  as  you  will,  you  can  understand ;  that 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  87 

is,  as  far  as  you  love  to  understand  ;  for  Avill  and  love 
act  as  one :  this  indeed  appears  as  a  paradox,  but  it 
so  appears  to  those  who  do  not  love  to  understand, 
and  thence  do  not  will ;  and  they  Avho  do  not  will 
say  that  they  cannot :  yet  who  cannot,  and  who  can 
with  difficulty,  will  be  said  in  a  following  article.  It 
is  manifest  without  confirmation,  tliat  unless  man 
had  Avill  from  the  faculty  which  is  called  liberty,  and 
understanding  from  the  faculty  which  is  called  ration- 
ality, he  would  not  be  man.  Beasts  have  not  these 
faculties :  it  appears  as  if  the  beasts  also  could  will, 
and  could  understand,  but  they  cannot;  it  is  natural 
affection,  which  in  itself  is  strong  desire,  with  its  mate 
science,  which  solely  leads  and  brings  them  to  doing 
what  they  do :  the  civil  and  the  moral  are  indeed  in 
their  science,  but  are  not  above  it;  because  they  have 
not  the  spiritual,  which  gives  to  perceive  the  moral, 
and  thence  to  think  it  analytically  :  they  can  indeed 
be  taught  to  do  something,  but  this  is  only  the  natural, 
which  adds  itself  to  their  science  and  affection  at  the 
same  time,  and  is  reproduced  either  through  the  sight 
or  through  the  hearing;  but  it  never  becomes  of 
thought,  and  still  less  of  reason,  with  them :  some 
things  concerning  this  thing  may  be  seen  above,  n.  74. 
That  man  without  these  two  faculties  could  not  he  con^ 
joined  to  the  Lord^  and  thus  not  be  reformed  and 
regenerated^  has  been  shown  above ;  for  in  these  two 
faculties  the  Lord  resides  with  men,  as  well  the  evil 
as  the  good,  and  by  them  conjoins  Himself  to  every 
man  :  hence  it  is,  that  the  evil  as  well  as  the  good 
can  understand,  and  hence  he  has  the  will  of  good 
and  the  understanding  of  truth  in  potency:  that  they 
are  not  in  act,  is  from  the  abuse  of  these  faculties. 
That  the  Lord  resides  in  these  faculties  with  every 
man,  is  from  the  influx  of  the  will  of  the  Lord,  that 
He  wills  to  be  received  by  man,  and  to  have  an  abode 
with  him,  and  to  give  him  the  happy  things  of  eternal 
life  :  these  things  are  of  the  will  of  the  Lord,  because 
they  are  of  His  divine  love.  It  is  this  will  of  the  Lord 
which  causes  that  what  man  thinks,  speaks,  wills  and 


88  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

does,  appears  in  him  as  his.  That  the  influx  of  the 
will  of  the  Lord  operates  this,  may  be  confirmed  by 
many  things  from  the  spiritual  world ;  for  the  Lord 
sometimes  fills  an  angel  with  His  Divine,  so  that  the 
angel  knows  no  otherwise  than  that  he  is  the  Lord : 
to  Abraham,  Hagar,  and  Gideon  there  appeared  angels 
thus  filled,  who  thence  called  themselves  Jehovah, 
concerning  whom  in  the  Word :  so  also  can  one  spirit 
be  filled  by  another,  until  he  knows  not  but  that  he 
is  the  other ;  this  has  very  often  been  seen  by  me :  it 
is  also  known  in  heaven,  that  the  Lord  operates  all 
things  by  willing,  and  that  what  He  wills  is  done. 
From  these  things  it  is  manifest,  that  it  is  these  two 
faculties  by  which  the  Lord  conjoins  Himself  to  man, 
and  by  which  He  causes  that  man  should  be  recipro- 
cally conjoined.  But  how  man  is  reciprocally  con- 
joined by  these  two  faculties,  consequently  how  he  is 
reformed  and  regenerated  by  them,  has  been  said 
above,  and  more  will  be  said  concerning  it  below. 
That  man^  without  these  two  faculties^  ivoiild  not  have 
immortality  and  eternal  life,  follows  from  the  things 
just  said,  that  by  them  there  is  conjunction  with  the 
Lord,  also  reformation  and  regeneration  ;  by  conjunc- 
tion man  has  immortality,  and  by  reformation  and 
regeneration  he  has  eternal  life  :  and  because  by  these 
faculties  there  is  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  every 
man,  as  well  evil  as  good,  as  was  said,  therefore  every 
man  has  immortality;  but  that  man  has  eternal  life, 
that  is,  the  life  of  heaven,  with  whom  there  is  a  recip- 
rocal conjunction  from  inmost  things  to  ultimates. 
From  these  things  may  be  seen  the  reasons  why  the 
Lord  guards  these  two  faculties  with  man  inviolate  and 
as  sacred  in  all  the  course  of  his  Divine  Providence. 

97.  VHI.  That  therefore  it  is  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, that  man.  should  art  from  freedom,  according  to 
reason.  To  act  from  freedom  according  to  reason, 
and  to  act  from  liberty  and  rationality,  are  the  same, 
and  also  from  will  and  understanding;  but  it  is  one 
thing  to  act  from  freedom  according  to  reason,  or  from 
liberty  and  rationality,  and  another  thing  to  act  from 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  89 

freedom  itself  according  to  reason  itself,  or  from  liberty 
itself  and  rationality  itself;  since  that  man  who  does 
evil  from  the  love  of  evil,  and  confirms  it  with  him- 
self, indeed  acts  from  freedom  according  to  reason; 
but  still  his  freedom  is  not  in  itself  free,  or  freedom 
itself,  but  is  infernal  freedom,  Mdiich  in  itself  is  servi- 
tude ;  and  his  reason  is  not  in  itself  reason,  but  is 
reason  either  spurious,  or  false,  or  apparent  through 
confirmations :  but  still  both  are  of  the  Divine  Pro- 
vidence ;  for  if  the  freedom  of  willing  evil,  and  of 
making  it  as  of  reason  by  confirmations,  was  taken 
away  from  the  natural  man,  liberty  and  rationality 
Avould  perish,  and  at  the  same  time  will  and  under- 
standing; and  he  could  not  be  led  away  from  evils, 
and  be  reformed,  thus  not  be  oonjoincd  to  the  Lord, 
and  live  to  eternity :  wherefore  the  Lord  so  guards 
freedom  with  man,  as  man  does  the  pupil  of  his  eye. 
But  still  the  Lord  by  freedom  continually  leads  man 
from  evils,  and  as  far  as  he  can  lead  him  by  freedom, 
so  far  by  freedom  he  implants  goods;  thus  successively 
in  the  place  of  infernal  freedom  he  puts  in  heavenly 
freedom. 

98.  It  was  said  above,  that  every  man  has  the 
faculty  of  willing,  which  is  called  liberty,  and  the 
faculty  of  understanding,  which  is  called  rationality; 
but  it  is  to  be  well  known,  that  these  faculties  are  as 
if  infixed  in  man,  for  his  very  human  is  in  them  :  but, 
as  was  just  said,  it  is  one  thing  to  act  from  freedom 
according  to  reason,  and  another  thing  to  act  from 
freedom  itself  according  to  reason  itself:  no  others 
act  from  freedom  itself  according  to  reason  itself,  but 
those  who  have  suffered  themselves  to  be  regenerated 
by  the  Lord ;  but  the  rest  act  from  freedom  according 
to  thought,  which  they  make  a  semblance  of  reason. 
But  still,  every  man,  unless  he  was  born  an  idiot  or  ex- 
tremely stupid,  can  come  to  reason  itself,  and  through 
it  to  freedom  itself;  but  there  are  many  reasons  that 
he  does  not  come,  which  will  be  disclosed  in  what 
follows:  it  shall  only  be  said  here,  to  whom  freedom 
itself  or  liberty  itself,  and  at  the  same  time  reason 
8* 


90  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

itself  or  rationality  itself,  cannot  be  given;  and  to 
whom  it  can  be  given  with  difficulty.  Liberty  itself 
and  rationality  itself  cannot  be  given  to  those  that  are 
idiots  from  birth,  nor  to  those  that  have  afterAvards 
become  idiots,  as  long  as  they  are  idiots.  Neither  can 
liberty  itself  and  rationality  itself  bo  given  to  those 
born  stupid  and  doltish,  and  to  some  made  so  from 
the  torpor  of  idleness,  or  from  maladies  which  have 
prevented  or  altogether  shut  up  the  interiors  of  the 
mind,  or  from  the  love  of  a  beastly  life.  Neither  can 
liberty  itself  and  rationality  itself  be  given  with  those 
in  the  christian  world  who  altogether  deny  the  Divine 
of  the  Lord  and  the  sanctity  of  the  Word,  and  have 
retained  the  denial  confirmed  with  themselves  even  to 
the  end  of  life  ;  for  this  is  understood  by  the  sin  against 
the  Holy  Spirit,  which  is  not  remitted  in  this  world, 
nor  in  the  future,  Matt.  xii.  31,  32.  Neither  can 
liberty  itself  and  rationality  itself  be  given  with  those 
who  attribute  all  things  to  nature  and  nothing  to  the 
Divine,  and  have  made  it  of  their  faith  by  reasonings 
from  visible  things ;  for  these  are  atheists.  Liberty 
itself  and  rationality  itself  can  with  difficulty  be  given 
with  those  who  have  confirmed  themselves  much  in 
falsities  of  religion,  since  the  confirmer  of  falsity  is  a 
denier  of  the  truth ;  but  they  can  be  given  with  those 
who  have  not  confirmed  themselves,  in  whatever 
religion  they  may  be;  concerning  which  subject  may 
be  seen  the  things  which  were  adduced  in  the  Doc- 
trine OF  THE  New  .Jerusalem  concerning  the  )Sacred 
Scripture,  n.  91  to  97.  Infants  and  children  cannot 
come  into  liberty  itself  and  rationality  itself,  until  they 
become  of  adult  age;  since  the  interiors  of  the  mind 
are  opened  with  man  successively :  they  are  in  the 
mean  time  as  the  seeds  of  unripe  fruit,  which  cannot 
germinate  in  the  ground. 

99.  It  was  said  that  liberty  itself  and  rationality 
itself  cannot  be  given  v/ith  those  \vho  have  denied  the 
Divine  of  the  Lord  and  the  sanctity  of  the  Word ;  also 
with  those  who  have  confirmed  themselves  in  favor 
of  nature  against    the   Divine ;    and  with   difficulty 


THE    DIVI.VE    PROVIDENCE.  91 

with  those  who  have  confirmed  themselves  much  in 
falsities  of  rehgion  ;  but  still  all  these  have  not  lost 
those  faculties  themselves  :  I  have  heard  that  atheists, 
who  have  become  devils  and  satans.  have  understood 
the  arcana  of  wisdom  as  well  as  the  angels,  but  only 
when  they  heard  them  from  them ;  but  when  they 
returned  into  their  own  thoughts,  they  did  not  under- 
stand :  the  reason  was,  because  they  did  not  Avill  to ; 
yet  it  was  shown  to  them,  that  they  could  also  will, 
unless  the  love  and  thence  the  delight  of  evil  led  them 
away :  this  also,  when  they  heard,  they  understood ; 
yea,  they  affirmed  that  they  could,  but  that  they  did 
not  will  to  be  able,  because  thus  they  could  not  will 
what  they  wish,  which  was  evil  from  the  delight  of 
its  concupiscence :  such  wonders  I  have  very  often 
heard  in  the  world  of  spirits  :  from  which  things  I  have 
been  fully  confirmed,  that  every  man  has  liberty  and 
rationality ;  and  that  every  one  can  come  into  liberty 
itself  and  rationality  itself,  if  he  shuns  evils  as  sins. 
But  an  adult,  who  does  not  come  into  liberty  itself 
and  rationality  itself  in  the  world,  never  can  come 
into  them  after  death ;  for  then  the  state  of  his  life 
remains  to  eternity  as  it  was  in  the  world. 


THAT  IT  IS  A  LAW  OF  THE  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE,  THAT  MAN 
SHOULD  AS  OF  HIMSELF  REMOVE  EVILS  AS  SINS  IN  THE 
EXTERNAL  MAN,  AND  THAT  THUS  AND  NOT  OTHERWISE  THE 
LORD  CAN  REMOVE  EVILS  IN  THE  INTERNAL  MAN,  AND 
THEN   AT   THE    SAME    TIME    IN   THE   EXTERNAL. 

100.  Every  one  can  see  from  reason  alone,  that  the 
Lord,  who  is  good  itself  and  truth  itself,  cannot  enter 
in  with  man,  unless  evils  and  falsities  are  removed 
with  him;  for  evil  is  opposite  to  good,  and  falsity  is 
opposite  to  truth ;  and  two  opposites  can  never  be 
mingled;  but  when  one  draws  near  to  the  other  a 
combat  takes  place,  whicli  lasts  until  one  yields  place 
to  the  other;  and  that  which  yields,  goes  away,  and 
the  other  succeeds.     In  such  opposition  are  heaven 


92  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

and  hell,  or  the  Lord  and  the  devil :  can  any  one 
think  from  reason  that  the  Lord  can  enter  where  the 
devil  reigns?  or  that  heaven  can  he  where  hell  is? 
who  does  not  see,  from  the  rationality  given  to  every 
sane  man,  that  as  the  Lord  enters,  the  devil  must  be 
cast  out 7  or  as  heaven  enters,  hell  is  to  be  removed? 
This  opposition  is  understood  by  Abraham's  words 
from  heaven  to  the  rich  man  in  hell,  Between  ns  and 
you  a  vast  chasm  is  Jixed,  that  they  loho  wish  to  cross 
from  hence  to  you  cannot ;  neither  they  who  are  there 
pass  to  us :  Luke  xvi.  26.  Evil  itself  is  hell,  and 
good  itself  is  heaven ;  or,  what  is  the  same,  evil  itself 
is  the  devil,  and  good  itself  is  the  Lord ;  and  a  man 
in  whom  evil  reigns  is  a  hell  in  the  least  form,  and  a 
man  in  whom  good  reigns  is  a  heaven  in  the  least 
form  :  since  it  is  so,  how  can  heaven  enter  hell  ?  since 
between  them  so  vast  a  chasm  is  fixed,  that  it  cannot 
be  passed  from  this  to  that.  From  these  things  it 
follows  that  hell  must  by  all  means  be  removed,  that 
the  Lord  with  heaven  may  enter. 

lOL  But  many,  especially  they  who  have  confirmed 
themselves  in  faith  separate  from  charity,  do  not  know 
that  they  are  in  hell  when  in  evils,  and  do  not  at  all 
know  what  evils  are,  for  the  reason  that  they  think 
nothing  concerning  them,  saying  that  they  are  not 
under  the  yoke  of  the  law,  and  thus  that  the  law 
does  not  condemn  them;  also  that,  because  they  can 
contribute  nothing  to  salvation,  they  cannot  remove 
any  evil  from  themselves:  these  are  they  who  neglect 
to  think  concerning  evil ;  and  because  they  neglect  it, 
they  are  continually  in  it.  That  these  are  they  who 
were  understood  by  the  Lord  by  the  goats.  Matt.  xxv. 
41  to  46,  may  be  seen  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  concerning  Faith,  n.  61  to  68,  concerning 
whom  it  is  said  in  verse  41,  Depart  from  w/e,  ije  cursed^ 
into  eternal  fire  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels. 
For  they  who  think  nothing  concerning  the  evils  with 
themselves,  that  is,  who  do  not  explore  themselves, 
and  afterwards  desist  from  them,  cannot  but  be  igno- 
rant what  evil  is,  and  then  love  it  from  the  delight  of 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  93 

it;  for  he  who  does  not  know  it,  loves  it,  and  he  who 
neglects  to  think  concerning  it,  is  continually  in  it; 
he  is  as  one  blind,  who  does  not  see ;  for  thought  sees 
good  and  evil,  as  the  eye  sees  the  beautiful  and  the 
unbeautifnl ;  and  he  is  in  evil,  as  well  he  who  thinks 
and  wills  it,  as  he  who  believes  that  evil  does  not  ap- 
pear before  God,  and  who  believes  that  it  is  remitted 
if  it  does  appear,  for  thus  he  thinks  that  he  is  without 
evil :  if  they  abstain  from  doing  evils,  they  do  not 
abstain  because  they  are  sins  against  God,  but  because 
they  fear  the  laws  and  fame ;  yet  still  they  do  them 
in  their  spirit,  for  it  is  the  spirit  of  man  which  thinks 
and  wills;  wherefore,  what  man  thinks  in  his  spirit 
in  the  world,  he  does  after  his  departure  out  of  the 
world,  when  he  becomes  a  spirit.  In  the  spiritual 
world,  into  which  every  man  comes  after  death,  it  is 
not  asked  what  your  faith  had  been,  nor  what  your 
doctrine,  but  what  your  life,  thus  whether  it  was  such 
or  such ;  for  it  is  known  that  as  any  one's  life  is,  such 
is  his  faith,  yea,  his  doctrine ;  for  the  life  makes  a 
doctrine  to  itself,  and  makes  a  faith  to  itself 

102.  From  the  things  now  said  it  may  be  evident, 
that  it  is  a  law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  evils 
should  be  removed  by  man ;  for  without  the  removal 
of  them,  the  Lord  cannot  be  conjoined  to  man,  and 
lead  him  from  himself  into  heaven.  But  because  it  is 
unknown  that  man  ought  as  of  himself  to  remove 
evils  in  the  external  man,  and  that,  unless  man  does 
this  as  of  himself,  the  Lord  cannot  remove  the  evils 
with  him  in  the  internal  man,  therefore  these  things 
shall  be  set  before  the  reason  in  its  light  in  this  order. 
I.  That  every  man  has  an  external  and  an  internal 
of  thought,  n.  That  the  external  of  man's  thought 
is  in  itself  such  as  its  internal  is.  III.  That  the  in- 
ternal cannot  be  purified  from  the  concupiscences  of 
evil,  as  long  as  the  evils  in  the  external  man  are  not 
removed,  because  they  obstruct.  IV.  That  evils  in 
the  external  man  cannot  be  removed  by  the  Lord, 
except  by  means  of  man.  V.  That  man  therefore 
ought  to  remove  evils  from  the  external  man  as  of 


94  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

himself.  VI.  That  the  Lord  then  purifies  man  from 
the  concupiscences  of  evil  in  the  internal  man,  and 
from  evils  themselves  in  the  external.  VII.  That 
it  is  the  continual  of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the 
Lord,  that  He  may  conjoin  man  to  Himself,  and  Him- 
self to  him,  that  He  may  be  able  to  give  him  the 
happy  things  of  eternal  life ;  which  cannot  be  done, 
except  as  far  as  evils  with  their  concupiscences  are 
removed. 

103.  I.  That  every  -man  has  an  external  and  an 
internal  of  thought.  By  the  external  and  the  internal 
of  thought  is  here  understood  the  like  as  by  the  exter- 
nal and  internal  man,  by  which  nothing  else  is  under- 
stood but  the  external  and  internal  of  the  will  and 
understanding;  for  the  will  and  understanding  make 
man ;  and  because  these  two  manifest  themselves  in 
the  thoughts,  it  is  said  the  external  and  internal  of 
thought :  now  because  not  man's  body  but  his  spirit 
wills  and  understands,  and  thence  thinks,  it  follows 
that  this  external  and  internal  is  the  external  and 
internal  of  man's  spirit.  That  the  body  acts,  whether 
it  speaks  or  does,  is  only  an  effect  from  the  internal 
and  external  of  his  spirit;  for  the  body  is  only  obedi- 
ence. 

104.  That  every  man  of  considerable  age  has  an 
external  and  an  internal  of  thought,  and  so  too  an 
external  [and  an  internal]  of  the  will  and  understand- 
ing, or  an  external  and  an  internal  of  the  spirit,  which 
is  the  same  with  the  external  and  internal  man,  is 
manifest  to  every  one  who  attends  to  the  thoughts 
and  intentions  of  another  from  his  speech  or  deeds; 
and  also  to  his  own,  when  he  is  in  companies,  and 
when  out  of  them ;  for  one  can  speak  in  a  friendly 
manner  with  another  from  external  thought,  and  yet 
be  unfriendly  in  internal  thought;  one  can  speak  con- 
cerning love  towards  the  neighbor  and  concerning  love 
to  the  Lord  from  external  thought,  and  at  the  same 
time  from  the  affection  of  it,  when  yet  in  his  internal 
thought  he  makes  the  neighbor  of  no  account,  and 
does   not  fear   God :    one   can    speak   from   external 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  95 

thought,  and  at  the  same  time  affection,  concerning 
the  justice  of  the  civil  laws,  concerning  the  virtues  of 
moral  life,  and  concerning  the  things  which  are  of 
doctrine  and  spiritual  life ;  and  yet,  when  he  is  alone 
with  himself,  can  speak  from  internal  thought  and  its 
affection  against  the  civil  laws,  against  the  moral 
virtues,  and  against  the  things  which  are  of  doctrine 
and  spiritual  life :  thus  do  those  who  are  in  the  con- 
cupiscences of  evil,  and  still  wish  it  to  appear  before 
the  world  that  they  are  not  in  them.  Most  also,  when 
they  hear  others  speaking,  think  with  themselves, 
when  they  think  interiorly  in  themselves,  as  they 
think  in  speaking,  Are  they  to  be  believed  or  not? 
what  do  they  intend?  that  flatterers  and  hypocrites 
have  double  thought,  is  known ;  for  they  are  able  to 
restrain  themselves,  and  to  beware  lest  the  interior 
thought  be  opened,  and  some  to  hide  it  more  and  more 
interiorly,  and,  as  it  were,  to  block  up  the  doors  lest  it 
should  appear.  That  there  is  given  to  man  exterior 
thought  and  interior  thought,  is  plainly  manifest  from 
this,  that  from  his  interior  thought  he  can  see  the 
exterior  thought,  and  also  reflect  upon  it,  and  judge 
concerning  it,  whether  it  is  evil  or  not  evil :  that  the 
mind  of  man  is  such,  is  owing  to  the  two  faculties 
which  he  has  from  the  Lord,  which  are  called  liberty 
and  rationality ;  from  which,  unless  he  had  an  exter- 
nal and  an  internal  of  thought,  he  could  not  perceive 
and  see  any  evil  with  himself,  and  be  reformed ;  yea, 
neither  could  he  speak,  but  only  make  a  sound  like  a 
beast. 

105.  The  internal  of  thought  is  from  the  life's  love 
and  its  affections,  and  thence  perceptions ;  the  exter- 
nal of  thought  is  from  those  things  which  are  in  the 
memory,  and  which  subserve  the  life's  love  for  con- 
firmations, and  for  means  to  an  end.  Man  from 
infancy  even  to  youthful  age  is  in  the  external  of 
thought  from  the  affection  of  knowing,  which  then 
makes  its  internal ;  something  also  of  concupiscence 
breathes  through,  and  thence  of  inclination,  from  the 
life's  love  innate  from  the  parents :  but  afterwards  as 


96  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCEKNING 

he  lives,  his  hfe's  love  is  formed,  whose  affections  and 
thence  perceptions  make  the  internal  of  his  thonght, 
and  from  his  life's  love  is  formed  the  love  of  means, 
whose  delights  and  sciences  thence  called  up  from  the 
memory,  make  the  external  of  his  thonght. 

106.  II.  That  the  external  of  man^s  thought  is  in 
itself  such  as  its  intenial  is.  That  man  from  head  to 
foot  is  such  as  his  life's  love  is,  has  been  shown 
before;  here  therefore  something  shall  first  be  said 
concerning  the  life's  love  of  man,  since  nothing  can 
before  be  said  concerning  the  affections  which  together 
with  the  perceptions  make  the  internal  of  man,  and 
concerning  the  delights  of  the  affections  together  with 
the  thoughts  which  make  his  external.  The  loves 
are  manifold,  but  two  of  them  are  as  lords  and  kings, 
heavenly  love,  and  infernal  love :  heavenly  love  is 
love  to  the  Lord  and  towards  the  neighbor,  and  infer- 
nal love  is  the  love  of  self  and  of  the  world;  the 
former  and  the  latter  loves  are  opposite  to  each  other, 
as  heaven  and  hell  are ;  for  he  who  is  in  the  love  of 
self  and  of  the  world,  does  not  wish  good  to  any  one 
but  himself;  but  he  who  is  in  love  to  the  Lord  and  in 
love  towards  the  neighbor,  wishes  good  to  all.  These 
two  loves  are  th.e  loves  of  man's  life,  but  with  much 
variety  :  heavenly  love  is  the  life's  love  of  those  whom 
the  Lord  leads,  and  infernal  love  is  the  life's  love  of 
those  whom  the  devil  leads.  But  the  life's  love  of 
any  one  cannot  be  given  without  derivations,  which 
are  called  affections :  the  derivations  of  infernal  love 
are  the  affections  of  evil  and  falsity,  properly  concu- 
piscences ;  and  the  derivations  of  heavenly  love  are 
the  affections  of  good  and  truth,  properly  attachments. 
The  affections  of  infernal  love,  which  are  properly 
concupiscences,  are  as  many  as  there  are  evils ;  and 
the  affections  of  heavenly  love,  which  are  properly 
attachments,  are  as  many  as  there  are  goods.  Love 
dwells  in  its  affections  as  a  lord  in  his  dominion,  or 
as  a  king  in  his  kingdom :  their  dominion  and  king- 
dom is  over  the  things  which  are  of  the  mind,  that  is, 
which  are  of  the  will  and  understanding  of  man,  and 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  97 

thence  of  the  body.  The  hfe's  love  of  man,  by  its 
aflections  and  thence  perceptions,  and  by  its  dehghts 
and  thence  thoughts,  governs  the  whole  man,  the 
internal  of  his  mind  by  the  affections  and  thence  per- 
ceptions, and  the  external  of  the  mind  by  the  delights 
of  the  affections  and  thence  the  thoughts. 

107.  The  form  of  this  government  may  in  some  de- 
gree be  seen  by  comparisons :  heavenly  love,  with  the 
aflections  of  good  and  truth,  and  thence  the  percep- 
tions, and  at  the  same  time  with  the  delights  of  those 
affections  and  tlience  v/ith  the  thoughts,  maybe  com- 
pared to  a  tree  distinguished  for  branches,  leaves  and 
fruits ;  the  life's  love  is  that  tree,  the  branches  with  the 
leaves  are  the  atibctions  of  good  and  truth  with  their 
perceptions,  and  the  fruits  are  the  delights  of  the  affec- 
tions with  their  thoughts.  But  infernal  love,  with  its 
affections  of  evil  and  falsity,  which  are  concupiscences, 
and  at  the  same  time  with  the  delights  of  those  con- 
cupiscences and  thence  with  the  thoughts,  may  be  com- 
pared to  a  spider  and  his  web  woven  around:  the  love 
Itself  is  the  spider,  the  concupiscences  of  evil  and  falsity 
with  their  interior  craftinesses  are  the  network  threads 
nearest  to  the  spider's  seat;  and  the  delights  of  those 
concupiscences  with  deceitful  machinations  are  the 
remoter  threads,  where  flitting  flies  are  caught,  wrap- 
ped around  and  devoured. 

108.  From  these  comparisons  may  indeed  be  seen 
the  conjunction  of  all  things  of  the  will  and  under- 
standing or  mind  of  man  with  his  life's  love,  but  still 
not  rationally,  that  conjimction  may  be  seen  rationally 
thus  :  there  are  everywhere  three  things  together  which 
make  one,  which  are  called  end,  cause  and  effect; 
the  life's  love  there  is  the  end,  the  affections  with  their 
perceptions  are  the  cause,  and  the  delights  of  the  af- 
fections with  their  thoughts  are  the  effect ;  for  like  as 
the  end  through  the  cause  comes  into  the  effect,  so  also 
the  love  through  its  affections  comes  to  its  delights,  and 
through  its  perceptions  to  its  thoughts:  the  effects  them- 
selves are  in  the  delights  of  the  mind  and  their  thoughts, 
when  the  delights  are  of  the  will  and  the  thoughts  are 

9 


98  ANGELIC    WISnOM    CONCERNING 

of  the  understanding  thence,  thus  when  there  is  full 
consent  there  :  tliey  are  then  etlects  of  his  spirit,  which, 
if  tliey  do  not  come  into  the  act  of  the  body,  still  are 
as  in  act,  when  there  is  consent:  they  are  also  then 
at  the  same  time  in  the  body,  and  dwell  with  his 
life's  love  there,  and  breathe  after  action,  which  takes 
place  provided  nothing  hinders :  such  are  the  concu- 
piscences of  evil,  and  evils  themselves,  with  those 
who  in  their  spirit  make  evils  allowable.  Now  as  the 
end  conjoins  itself  with  the  cause,  and  through  the 
cause  with  the  effect,  so  does  the  life's  love  with  the 
internal  of  thought,  and  through  this  with  its  external ; 
hence  it  is  manifest,  that  the  external  of  man's  thought 
in  itself  is  such  as  its  internal  is,  for  the  end  puts  its 
all  into  the  cause,  and  through  the  cause  into  the  effect  ; 
for  nothing  essential  is  given  in  the  effect,  but  what  is  in 
the  cause,  and  through  the  cause  in  the  end ;  and  be- 
cause the  end  is  thus  the  essential  itself  which  enters  into 
the  cause  and  the  effect,  therefore  the  cause  and  the 
effect  are  called  the  middle  end  and  the  ultimate  end. 
109.  It  sometimes  appears  as  if  the  external  of  man's 
thought  was  not  in  itself  such  as  the  internal  is;  but 
this  takes  place  because  the  life's  love,  with  its  inter- 
nals around  itself,  places  a  substitute  below  itself, 
which  is  called  the  love  of  means  ;  and  it  enjoins 
upon  it,  that  it  should  beware  and  guard  lest  anything 
of  its  concupiscences  should  appear  ;  wherefore  that 
substitute,  from  the  cunning  of  its  chief,  which  is  the 
life's  love,  speaks  and  acts  according  to  tlie  civil  things 
of  the  kingdom,  according  to  the  moral  things  of  rea- 
son, and  according  to  the  spiritual  things  of  the  church ; 
and  some  so  craftily  and  ingeniously,  that  nobody  sees 
but  that  they  are  such  as  they  speak  and  act,  and  at 
length  from  concealment  scarcely  themselves  know 
otherwise  :  such  are  all  hypocrites  ;  and  such  are  priests 
who  in  heart  make  the  neighbor  of  no  account  and  do 
not  fear  God,  and  yet  preach  concerning  the  love  of 
the  neighbor  and  the  love  of  God :  such  are  judges, 
who  judge  according  to  gifts  and  friendships,  when 
they  pretend  zeal  for  justice,  and  speak  from  reason 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  99 

concerning  judgment :  such  are  merchants  insincere 
and  fraudulent  in  heart,  when  they  act  sincerely 
for  the  sake  of  gain  :  and  such  are  adulterers,  when 
from  rationality,  which  every  man  has,  they  speak 
concerning  the  chastity  of  marriage;  and  so  on. 
But  if  the  same  strip  the  love  of  means,  the  substitute 
of  their  life's  love,  of  his  purple  and  fine  linen  garments 
which  they  had  thrown  around  him,  and  clothe  him  in 
his  domestic  coat,  they  then  think,  and  whenever  they 
speak  from  their  thought  with  their  greatest  friends, 
who  are  in  a  like  life's  love,  they  speak,  quite  the 
contrary.  It  may  be  believed,  that  when  from  the  love 
of  means  they  have  spoken  so  justly,  sincerely  and 
piously,  then  the  quality  of  the  internal  of  thought  was 
not  in  the  external  of  their  thought,  yet  still  it  was  ; 
there  is  hypocrisy  in  them,  there  is  the  love  of  self 
and  of  the  world  in  them,  the  craftiness  of  which  is  to 
catch  fame  for  the  sake  of  honor  and  gain,  even  to 
the  last  appearance  :  this  is  the  quality  of  the  internal 
in  the  external  of  their  thought,  when  they  so  speak 
and  act. 

110.  But  with  those  who  are  in  heavenly  love,  the 
internal  and  the  external  of  thought,  or  the  internal  and 
external  man,  act  as  one,  when  they  speak ;  nor  do 
they  know  a  difterence  :  their  life's  love,  with  its  affec- 
tions of  good  and  their  perceptions  of  truth,  is  as  a 
soul  in  the  things  which  they  think,  and  thence  speak 
and  act ;  if  they  are  priests,  they  preach  from  love 
towards  the  neighbor  and  from  love  to  the  Lord  ;  if 
they  are  judges,  they  judge  from  justice  itself;  if  they 
are  merchants,  they  act  from  sincerity  itself ;  if  mar- 
ried, they  love  the  consort  from  chastity  itself;  and  so 
on.  Their  life's  love  also  has  the  love  of  means  as  a 
substitute,  which  it  teaches  and  leads  that  it  may  act 
from  prudence,  and  clothes  it  with  robes  of  zeal  for 
the  truths  of  doctrine  and  at  the  same  time  for  the 
goods  of  life. 

111.  III.  That  the  infermil  cannot  he  pur ijietl  from, 
the  concupiscences  of  evil,  os  long  as  evils  in  the  exter- 
nal man  are  not  removed,  because  they  obstruct,  follows 


100  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

from  the  things  said  above,  that  tlie  external  of  man's 
thought  is  ill  itself  such  as  the  internal  of  his  thought 
is,  and  that  they  cohere  together  as  that  which  is  not 
only  within  in  another,  but  also  from  the  other ;  where- 
fore one  cannot  be  separated  unless  the  other  is  at  the 
same  time;  it  is  thus  with  every  external  which  is 
from  an  internal,  and  with  every  posterior  which  is 
from  a  prior,  and  with  every  effect  which  is  from  a 
cause.  Now  because  concupiscences  together  with 
craftinesses  make  the  internal  of  thought  with  the  evil, 
and  the  dehghts  of  concupiscences  together  with  ma- 
chinations make  the  external  of  thought  with  them, 
and  the  latter  are  conjoined  with  the  former  into  one, 
it  follows  that  the  internal  cannot  be  purified  from 
concupiscences,  as  long  as  the  evils  in  the  external  man 
are  not  removed.  It  is  to  be  known,  that  it  is  man's 
internal  will  which  is  in  concupiscences,  and  that  it  is 
his  internal  understanding  which  is  in  craftinesses; 
and  that  it  is  the  external  will  which  is  in  the  delights  of 
concupiscences,  and  the  external  understanding  which 
is  in  machinations  from  craftinesses:  every  one  can  see 
that  concupiscences  and  their  delights  make  one,  also 
that  craftinesses  and  machinations  make  one,  and  that 
these  four  are  in  one  series,  and  together  make  as  it 
were  one  bundle ;  from  which  things  it  is  again  man- 
ifest, that  the  internal,  which  consists  of  concupiscen- 
ces, cannot  be  cast  out,  unless  by  the  removal  of  the 
external,  which  consists  of  evils.  Concupiscences  by 
their  delights  produce  evils;  but  when  evils  are  be- 
lieved allowable,  which  is  done  by  consent  of  the  will 
and  the  understanding,  then  the  delights  and  evils 
make  one:  that  consent  is  a  deed,  is  known  ;  which 
is  also  what  the  Lord  says,  If  any  one  has  looked  at 
another's  woman^  so  as  to  lust  after  her^  he  already 
commits  adultery  with  her  in  his  heart:  Matt.  v.  28. 
It  is  the  like  with  the  rest  of  the  evils. 

112.  From  these  things  it  may  now  be  evident,  that 
as  man  is  purified  from  concupiscences  of  evil,  evils 
are  to  be  altogether  removed  from  the  external  man ; 
for  not  before  is  a  passage  for  concupiscences  given, 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  101 

and  if  a  passage  is  not  given,  the  concupiscences 
remain  within,  and  breathe  forth  dehghts  from  them- 
selves, and  so  compel  man  to  consent,  thus  to  deed : 
the  concupiscences  through  the  external  of  thought 
enter  the  body,  wherefore,  when  there  is  consent  in 
the  external  of  thought,  they  are  forthwith  in  the 
body  ;  the  delight  which  is  felt,  is  there  :  that  as  is 
the  mind,  such  is  the  body,  thus  the  wliole  man,  may 
be  seen  in  the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love 
AND  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  362  to  370.  This  may  be  illus- 
trated by  comparisons,  and  also  by  examples.  By 
comparisons:  the  concupiscences  with  their  delights 
may  be  compared  to  fire,  which  tlie  more  it  is  kindled 
burns  the  more;  and  the  more  free  passage  it  has, 
the  more  widely  it  spreads  itself;  until  in  a  city  it 
consumes  its  houses,  and  in  a  forest  its  trees  ;  the  con- 
cupiscences of  evil  are  also  in  the  Word  compared  to 
fire,  and  the  evils  thence  to  a  conflagration  :  and  the 
concupiscences  of  evil  with  their  delights  appear  also 
in  the  spiritual  world  as  fires  ;  infernal  fire  is  nothing 
else.  They  may  be  compared  also  to  floods  and 
inundations  from  waters,  the  mounds  or  dams  being 
removed.  They  may  also  be  compared  to  gangrenes 
and  abscesses  which  induce  death  upon  the  body,  as 
they  spread,  or  as  they  are  not  cured.  By  Examples 
it  is  clearly  manifest,  that  if  evils  are  not  removed  in 
the  external  man,  the  concupiscences  with  their  de- 
lights grow  and  exuberate  :  the  thief,  as  far  as  he  steals, 
so  far  hankers  to  steal,  until  at  length  he  cannot  desist : 
in  like  manner  the  cheat,  as  far  as  he  cheats:  with 
hatred  and  revenge,  with  luxury  and  intemperance, 
with  whoredom  and  blasphemy,  it  is  the  like:  that 
the  love  of  ruling  from  the  love  of  self  increases  so 
far  as  the  reins  are  slackened  to  it,  is  known  ;  equally 
the  love  of  possessing  goods  from  the  love  of  the 
world  :  it  appears  as  if  they  had  no  boundary  or  end. 
From  which  it  is  manifest,  that  as  far  as  evils  are 
not  removed  in  the  external  man,  so  far  their  concu- 
piscences exuberate ;  also  in  whatever  degree  the  reins 
9# 


102  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

are  slackened  to  evils,  in  that  degree  the  concupis- 
cences increase. 

113.  Man  cannot  perceive  the  concnpiscences  of 
his  evil;  he  indeed  perceives  their  delights,  but  still 
reflects  too  little  upon  them;  for  delights  delight  the 
thoughts,  and  take  away  reflections  ;  wherefore,  if  he 
did  not  know  from  elsewhere  that  they  were  evils,  he 
would  call  them  goods,  and  from  freedom  according 
to  the  reason  of  his  thought  would  perpetrate  them  ; 
and  when  he  does  this,  he  appropriates  them  to  him- 
self: as  far  as  he  confirms  them  as  allowable,  so  far 
he  amplifies  the  court  of  the  reigning  love,  which  is 
his  life's  love;  the  concupiscences  make  its  court,  for 
they  are  as  its  ministers  and  attendants,  by  which  it 
governs  the  exteriors,  which  make  its  kingdom  :  but 
as  is  the  king,  such  are  the  ministers  and  attendants, 
and  such  is  the  kingdom  :  if  the  king  is  the  devil, 
then  his  ministers  and  attendants  are  insanities,  and 
the  people  of  his  kingdom  are  falsities  of  every  kind  ; 
which  the  ministers,  whom  they  call  wise,  although 
they  are  insane,  by  ratiocinations  from  fallacies  and 
by  fantasies  make  to  appear  as  truths,  and  they  are 
acknowledged  as  truths.  Can  such  a  state  of  man  be 
changed  otherwise  than  by  evils  being  removed  in  the 
external  man  7  thus  also  the  concupiscences,  which 
cohere  to  the  evils,  are  removed;  otherwise  a  passage 
would  not  be  open  for  the  concupiscences,  for  they  are 
closed  in,  like  a  besieged  city,  and  like  a  closed  ulcer. 

114.  iV.  That  evils  in  the  external  man  cannot  be 
removed  by  the  Lord^  except  by  meajis  of  man.  In  all 
the  christian  churches  this  doctrine  is  received,  that 
man,  before  he  approaches  the  holy  communion, 
should  explore  himself,  should  see  and  acknowledge 
his  sins,  and  should  repent,  by  desisting  from  them, 
and  by  rejecting  them,  because  they  are  from  the 
devil;  and  that  otherwise  the  sins  are  not  remitted  to 
him,  and  that  he  is  condemned.  The  English,  al- 
though they  are  in  the  doctrine  of  faith  alone,  still,  in 
the  exhortation  to  the  holy  communion,  openly  teach 
exploration,  acknowledgment,  confession  of  sins,  re- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  103 

pentance,  and  renovation  of  life,  and  threaten  those 
who  do  not  do  them  in  these  words,  that  otherwise  the 
devil  will  enter  into  them  as  into  .Indas,  and  will  fill 
them  with  all  iniquity,  and  destroy  both  body  and 
soul.  The  Germans.  Swedes,  and  Danes,  who  also 
are  in  the  doctrine  of  faith  alone,  in  the  exhortation 
to  the  holy  communion  teach  like  things,  threatening 
also  that  otherwise  they  would  make  themselves  lia- 
ble to  infernal  pimishments  and  eternal  damnation, 
for  the  mixture  of  the  holy  and  the  profane  :  these 
things  are  read  by  the  priests  with  a  loud  voice  before 
those  who  are  about  to  come  to  the  Holy  Supper,  and 
are  listened  to  by  them  with  all  acknowledgment 
that  it  is  so.  But  j^ct,  when  the  same  hear  preaching 
the  same  day  concerning  faith  alone,  and  also  that 
the  law  does  not  condemn  them,  because  the  Lord 
fulfilled  it  for  them,  and  that  of  themselves  they 
cannot  do  any  good  except  meritorious,  and  thus  that 
works  have  nothing  of  salvation  in  them,  but  faith 
alone,  they  return  home  with  fnll  forgetfulness  of  the 
former  confession,  and  with  the  rejection  of  it,  as  far 
as  they  think  from  the  preaching  concerning  faith 
alone.  What  now  is  true  7  this  or  that?  two  things 
contrary  to  each  other  cannot  be  true,  as  that  without 
the  exploration,  knowledge,  acknowledgment,  confes- 
sion and  rejection  of  sins,  thus  without  repentance, 
their  remission  is  not  given,  thus  not  salvation,  but 
eternal  damnation  ;  or  that  such  things  do  nothing 
for  salvation,  because  plenary  satisfaction  for  all  the 
sins  of  men  was  made  by  the  Lord,  by  the  passion  of 
the  cross,  for  those  who  are  in  faith,  and  that  they  who 
are  in  faith  alone  with  the  trust  that  it  is  so,  and  in 
confidence  concerning  the  imputation  of  the  Lord's 
merit,  are  withont  sins,  and  that  they  appear  be- 
fore God  as  those  who  arc  washed  look  brigbt  in  the 
face.  From  these  things  it  is  manifest,  that  the  com- 
mon religion  of  all  the  churches  in  the  christian  world 
is,  that  man  should  explore  himself,  should  see  and 
acknowledge  his  sins,  and  afterwards  desist  from  them; 
and  that  otherwise  there  is  no  salvation,  but  damnation. 


104  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

That  it  is  also  divine  truth  itself,  is  manifest  from  the 
places  ill  the  Word  where  it  is  commanded  that  man 
should  repent,  as  from  these:  Jesus  said^  Bring  forth 
fruits  irorfhy  of  repentance  ;  already  the  axe  lies  at  the 
root  of  the  tree  ;  every  tree  not  bringing  fort! i  good  fruit 
shall  be  cut  dovrn  and  cast  into  the  fire:  Luke  iii.  8,  9. 
Jesus  said,  Unless  ye  repent,  ye  vnll  all  'perish :  Luke 
xii.  3,  5.  Jesus  preached,  tlie  gospel  of  the  kingdom 
of  God ;  REPENT,  a7id  believe  the  gospel:  Mark  i.  14, 
15.  Jesus  sent  out  the  disciples,  who,  going  forth, 
preached  that  they  shoidd  repent  :  Mark  vi.  12.  Jesus 
said  to  the  apostles  that  they  must  preach  repentance 

AND   REMISSION    OF   SINS   AMONG   ALL   NATIONS  :    Lukc   XXiv. 

47.  John  preached  the  baptism  of  repentance  unto 
THE  REMISSION  OF  SINS  :  Mark  i.  4;  Luke  iii.  3.  Think 
concerning  this  also  from  some  understanding,  and  if 
you  have  religion,  you  will  see  that  repentance  from 
sins  is  the  way  to  heaven,  and  that  faith  separate 
from  repentance  is  not  faith,  and  that  they  who  are 
in  non-taith  from  non- repentance  are  in  the  way  to 
hell. 

115.  They  who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity, 
and  have  confirmed  themselves  from  the  saying  of 
Paul  to  the  Romans,  That  man  is  justified  by  faith 
without  the  u'orks  of  the  law,  iii.  28,  adore  this  say- 
ing like  those  who  adore  the  sun,  and  become  like 
those  who  fix  the  eyes  earnestly  on  the  sun,  from 
which  the  sight  becoming  blunted  does  not  see  any- 
thing in  the  midst  of  light;  for  they  do  not  see  what 
is  there  understood  by  the  works  of  the  law,  that  they 
are  the  rituals  which  were  described  by  Moses  in 
his  books,  which  everywhere  there  are  called  the  law; 
and  that  they  are  not  the  precepts  of  the  decalogue; 
wherefore,  lest  the  precepts  of  the  decalogue  should 
be  understood,  he  explains  it  by  saying,  Do  we  then 
abrogate  the  laio  by  faith  7  let  it  not  be,  but  ire  estab- 
lish the  law  :  ver.  31  of  the  same  chapter.  Those  who 
from  that  saying  have  confirmed  themselves  in  faith 
separated,  from  looking  at  that  passage  as  at  the  sun, 
neither  see  where  he  enumerates  the  laws  of  faith,  that 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  105 

they  are  the  very  works  of  charity  :  what  therefore  is 
faith  without  its  laws  7  nor  do  they  see  where  he  enu- 
merates evil  works,  saying  that  they  who  do  them 
cannot  enter  into  heaven.  From  which  it  is  mani- 
fest, what  blindness  is  induced  from  this  passage  alone 
badly  understood. 

116.  That  evils  cannot  be  removed  in  th.e  external 
man  except  by  the  means  of  man,  is  because  it  is  from 
the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  that  whatever  man 
hears,  sees,  thinks,  wills,  speaks  and  does,  should  ap- 
pear altogether  as  his :  that  without  that  appearance 
man  would  have  no  reception  of  divine  truth,  no  deter- 
mination to  doing  good,  no  appropriation  of  love  and 
wisdom,  nor  of  charity  and  faith,  and  hence  no  con- 
junction with  the  Lord,  and  therefore  no  reformation 
and  regeneration,  and  thus  salvation,  has  been  shown 
above,  n.  71  to  95  and  following  numbers:  that  with- 
out that  appearance  repentance  from  sins  cannot  be 
given,  yea,  neither  faith,  is  evident :  also  that  man 
without  that  appearance  is  not  man,  but  destitute  of 
rational  life,  like  a  beast.  Let  him  who  will,  con- 
sult his  own  reason,  whether  it  appears  otherwise  than 
that  man  thinks  from  himself  concerning  good  and 
truth,  as  well  spiritual  as  moral  and  civil;  and  then 
receive  this  doctrinal,  that  all  good  and  truth  is  from 
the  Lord,  and  nothing  from  man ;  will  you  not  ack- 
nowledge this  consequence,  that  man  will  do  good 
and  will  think  truth  as  of  himself,  but  still  will  ack- 
nowledge that  they  are  from  the  Lord,  and  therefore 
also  that  man  will  remove  evils  as  of  himself,  but  still 
will  acknowledge  that  he  does  it  from  the  Lord? 

117.  There  are  very  many  who  do  not  know  that 
they  are  in  evils,  because  they  do  not  do  them  in 
externals ;  for  they  fear  the  civil  laws,  and  also  the 
loss  of  character,  and  thus  from  custom  and  habit  they 
learn  to  shun  evils  as  damages  to  their  honor  and  their 
gain  :  but  if  they  do  not  shun  evils  from  a  principle 
of  religion,  because  they  are  sins,  and  against  God, 
then  the  concupiscences  of  evil  with  their  delights  re- 
main with  them,  as  impure  waters  dammed  up  or  stag- 


106  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

nated:  let  them  explore  their  thoughts  and  intentions, 
and  they  will  find  them,  provided  they  know  what 
sin  is.  There  are  many  such  who  have  confirmed 
themselves  in  faith  separate  from  charity,  who,  be- 
cause they  believe  that  the  law  does  not  condemn,  do 
not  at  all  attend  to  sins;  and  some  doubt  whether  there 
are  any,  and  if  there  are,  that  tliey  are  not  before  God, 
because  they  are  forgiven.  Such  also  are  natural  mor- 
alists, who  beheve  that  a  civil  and  moral  life  with  its 
prudence  produces  all  things,  and  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence nothing.  Such  also  are  they  who  with  much 
study  affect  the  character  and  name  of  honesty  and 
sincerity,  for  the  sake  of  honor  or  of  gain.  But 
they  who  are  such,  and  have  at  the  same  time  des- 
pised religion,  become  after  death  spirits  of  concupis- 
cences, who  appear  to  themselves  as  if  they  were 
men,  but  to  others  at  a  distance  as  priapuses  ;  and 
they  see  in  the  darkness,  and  nothing  in  the  light, 
like  owls. 

118.  From  these  things  now  follows  Article  V. 
confirmed,  which  is,  That  therefore  man  ought  to  re- 
move evils  from  the  external  man  as  of  himself;  which 
things  may  also  be  seen  explained  in  three  articles  in 
the  Doctrine  of  Life  for  the  New  Jerusalem  ;  in  one, 
That  no  one  can  shim  evils  as  sins,  so  far  as  interiorly 
to  loathe  them,  except  by  combats  against  them,  n.  92 
to  100.  In  the  second.  That  man  onght  to  shun  evils 
as  sins,  and  to  fight  against  them,  as  of  himself,  n. 
101  to  107.  In  the  third.  That  if  any  one  shuns  evils 
from  any  other  cause  whatever  than  because  they  are 
sins,  he  does  not  shun  them,  but  only  causes  that  they 
do  not  appear  before  the  world,  n.  108  to  113. 

119.  VI.  That  the  Lord  then  purifies  man  frow,  the 
concupiscences  of  evil  in  the  internal  m,an,  and  from> 
evils  themselves  in  the  exterjial  man.  The  reason  that 
the  Lord  then  purifies  man  from  the  concupiscences 
of  evil,  when  man  as  of  himself  removes  the  evils,  is 
because  the  Lord  cannot  purify  him  before  ;  for  evils 
are  in  the  external  man,  and  the  concupiscences  of 
evil  in  the  internal ;  and  they  cohere  as  the  roots  with 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  107 

the  trunk :  wherefore,  unless  evils  are  removed,  there 
is  not  given  an  opening;  for  they  block  up  and  close 
the  gate,  which  cannot  be  opened  by  the  Lord  except 
by  the  means  of  man,  as  was  shown  just  above  :  when 
man  thus  as  of  himself  opens  the  gate,  then  the  Lord 
at  the  same  time  extirpates  the  concupiscences.  The 
reason  also  is,  because  the  Lord  acts  into  the  inmost 
of  man.  and  from  the  inmost  in  sequence  even  to  the 
ultimates  ;  and  in  the  ultimates  is  man  at  the  same 
time  :  as  long  therefore  as  th-e  ultimates  are  kept  closed 
by  man  himself,  there  cannot  be  any  purification  ;  but 
only  such  operation  can  be  done  by  the  Lord  in  the 
interiors,  as  is  that  of  the  Lord  in  hell,  the  form  of 
which  is  a  man  who  is  in  the  concupiscences  of  evil; 
which  operation  is  only  an  arrangement  lest  one  thing 
should  destroy  another,  and  lest  good  and  truth  should 
be  violated.  That  the  Lord  continually  urges  and 
presses  man  to  open  the  gate  to  Him,  is  manifest  from 
the  words  of  the  Lord  in  the  Apocalypse :  Behold,  I 
stand  at  the  door  and  knock  ;  if  any  one  shall  hear 
my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will  enter  to  him,  and 
will  Slip  with  hi?n,  and  he  with  me :  iii.  20. 

120.  Man  knows  nothing  at  all  concerning  the  in- 
terior state  of  his  mind,  or  his  internal  man  ;  yet  there 
are  infinite  things  there,  not  one  of  which  comes  to 
his  knowledge;  for  the  internal  of  man's  thought,  or 
his  internal  man.  is  his  spirit  itself;  and  in  it  there 
are  things  as  infinite  or  as  innumerable  as  there  are 
in  man's  body ;  yea,  still  more  innumerable ;  for 
man's  spirit  is  in  its  form  a  man,  and  all  the  things  of 
it  correspond  to  all  things  of  man  in  his  body.  Now 
as  man  knows  nothing  from  any  sensation,  how  his 
mind  or  soul  operates  into  all  things  of  his  body  con- 
jointly and  singly,  so  neither  does  man  know  how  the 
Lord  operates  into  all  things  of  his  mind  or  soul,  that 
is,  into  all  things  of  his  spirit:  the  operation  is  con- 
tinual; in  this  man  has  no  part;  but  still  the  Lord 
cannot  purify  man  from  any  concupiscence  of  evil  in 
his  spirit  or  internal  man,  as  long  as  man  holds  the 
external  closed  :  it  is  evils  hy  which  man  holds  the 


108  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

external  closed,  every  one  of  which  appears  to  him  as 
one,  although  there  are  infinite  things  in  each ;  when 
man  removes  this  as  one,  then  the  Lord  removes  the 
infinite  things  in  it.  This  is  what  is  understood  by 
the  Lord's  then  purifying  man  from  the  concupis- 
cences of  evil  in  the  internal  man,  and  from  the  evils 
themselves  in  the  external. 

121.  It  is  believed  by  many,  that  only  to  believe 
that  which  the  church  teaches,  purifies  man  from 
evils;  and  it  is  believed  by  some  that  to  do  good  puri- 
fies ;  by  some,  that  to  know,  speak,  and  teach  such 
things  as  are  of  the  church  does ;  by  some,  that  to 
read  the  Word  and  books  of  piety  does;  by  some,  to 
frequent  churches,  to  listen  to  preachings,  and  espe- 
cially to  come  to  the  Holy  Supper ;  by  some,  to  re- 
nounce the  world,  and  to  pursue  piety  ;  by  some,  to 
confess  one's  self  guilty  of  all  sins,  and  so  on.  But 
still  all  these  things  purify  man  in  nothing,  unless  he 
explores  himself,  sees  his  sins,  acknowledges  them, 
condemns  himself  on  account  of  them,  and  does  re- 
pentance by  desisting  from  them ;  and  does  all  these 
things  as  of  himself,  but  still  from  the  acknowledg- 
ment of  the  heart  lliat  it  is  of  the  Lord.  Before  these 
things  are  done,  the  aforesaid  things  aid  in  nothing, 
for  they  are  either  meritorious  or  hypocritical ;  and 
those  persons  appear  in  heaven  before  the  angels  either 
as  beautiful  harlots  smelling  badly  from  their  corrup- 
tion; or  as  deformed  women  appearing  beautiful  from 
paint  laid  on;  or  as  jugglers  and  mimics  represented 
in  the  theatres;  eras  apes  in  human  clothes.  But 
when  evils  are  removed,  then  the  above-mentioned 
things  become  of  their  love,  and  they  appear  in 
heaven  before  the  angels  as  beautiful  men,  and  as 
their  partners  and  associates. 

122.  But  it  is  to  be  well  known,  that  man  desiring  to 
repent  ought  to  look  to  the  Lord  alone ;  if  to  God  the 
Father  alone,  he  cannot  be  purified ;  nor  if  to  the  Father 
for  the  sake  of  the  Son ;  neither  if  to  the  Son  as  man 
only ;  for  God  is  one,  and  the  Lord  is  He ;  for  His 
Divine  and  Human  is  one  person,  as  was  shown  in 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  109 

the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the 
Lord.  That  every  one  desiring  to  repent  might  look 
to  the  Ijord  alone,  the  Holy  Supper  was  instituted  by 
Him,  which  confirms  the  remission  of  sins  with  those 
who  repent :  it  confirms  it.  because  in  that  supper  or 
communion  every  one  is  kept  looking  to  the  Lord 
alone. 

123.  Vn.  That  it  is  the  continual  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence of  the  Lord^  that  He  may  conjoin  man  to  Himself 
and  Himself  to  him^  that  He  may  be  able  to  give  him  the 
happy  things  of  eternal  life  ;  which  cannot  be  done^  ex- 
cept as  far  as  evils  tvith  their  cojicupiscences  are  removed. 
That  the  continual  of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the 
Lord  is  to  conjoin  man  to  Himself  and  Himself  to  him, 
and  this  conjunction  is  what  is  called  reformation  and 
regeneration,  and  that  hence  man  has  salvation,  was 
shown  above,  n.  27  to  45.  Who  does  not  see  that 
conjunction  with  God  is  eternal  life  and  salvation? 
Every  one.  sees  this  who  believes  that  men  are  from 
creation  images  and  likenesses  of  God,  Gen.  i.  26,  27, 
and  who  knows  what  the  image  and  likeness  of  God 
is.  Who  that  has  sound  reason,  while  he  thinks  from 
his  rationality,  and  wills  to  think  from  his  liberty,  can 
believe  that  there  are  three  Gods,  equal  in  essence;  and 
that  the  Divine  Being  or  Divine  Essence  can  be  divi- 
ded? That  there  is  a  trine  in  the  one  God,  may  be 
thought  and  comprehended,  as  in  an  angel  and  in  man, 
sonl  and  body,  and  the  proceeding  of  life  from  them, 
is  comprehended  ;  and  because  this  trine  in  one  is  given 
only  in  the  Lord,  it  follows  that  conjunction  must  be 
with  Him  :  use  your  rationality  and  at  the  same  lime 
your  liberty  of  thinking,  and  you  will  see  this  truth  in 
its  light;  but  admit  first,  that  there  is  a  God,  and  that 
there  is  a  heaven,  and  that  there  is  an  eternal  life. 
Now  because  God  is  one,  and  man  from  creation  was 
made  His  image  and  likeness,  and  because  by  infernal 
love,  and  by  its  concupiscences  and  their  delights,  he 
has  come  into  the  love  of  all  evils,  and  hence  has  de- 
stroyed with  himself  the  image  and  likeness  of  God, 
it  follows  that  it  is  the  continual  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
10 


110  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

dence  of  the  Lord,  that  He  may  conjoin  man  to  Himself 
and  Himself  to  man,  and  thus  cause  that  he  should  be 
His  image  :  that  this  is  to  the  end  that  the  Lord  may- 
be able  to  give  to  man  the  happy  things  of  eternal  life, 
also  follows,  for  Divine  Love  is  such  :  but  that  He  can- 
not give  these  things,  nor  make  him  an  image  of  Him- 
self, "imless  man  as  of  himself  removes  sins  in  the  exter- 
nal man,  is  because  the  Lord  is  not  only  Divine  Love,  but 
also  Divine  Wisdom ;  and  Divine  Love  does  nothing 
except  from  Divine  Wisdom,  and  according  to  it :  that 
man  cannot  be  conjoined  to  Him,  and  thus  be  reform- 
ed, regenerated  and  saved,  unless  it  were  permitted 
him  to  act  from  freedom  according  to  reason,  for 
thereby  man  is  man,  is  according  to  His  Divine  Wis- 
dom ;  and  whatever  is  according  to  the  Divine  Wis- 
dom of  the  Lord  is  also  of  His  Divine  Providence. 

124.  To  these  things  1  will  add  two  arcana  of  an- 
gelic wisdom,  from  which  it  may  be  seen  of  what 
quality  the  Divine  Providence  is:  the  one,  that  the 
Lord  never  acts  into  any  particular  thing  with  man 
singly,  unless  into  all  things  at  the  same  time;  the 
other,  that  the  Lord  acts  from  inmost  things  and  from 
ultimates  at  the  same  time.  That  the  Lord  never 
acts  into  any  jmrticular  thing  with  man  singly,  unless 
into  all  things  of  Jii.ni  at  the  same  time,  is  Ijecause  all 
things  of  man  are  in  such  connection,  and  by  connec- 
tion in  such  form,  that  they  act  not  as  many,  but  as 
one :  that  man,  as  to  the  body,  is  in  such  connection  and 
through  connection  in  such  a  form,  is  known  :  in  a  like 
form  from  a  connection  of  all  things  is  also  the  human 
mind,  for  the  human  mind  is  a  spiritual  man,  and  also 
is  actually  a  man ;  hence  it  is  that  the  spirit  of  man, 
which  is  his  mind  in  the  body,  is  in  all  form  a  man  ; 
wherefore  man  after  death  is  equally  man  as  in  the 
world,  only  with  the  difference,  that  he  has  thrown 
away  the  cast-offs,  which  made  his  body  in  the  world. 
Now  because  the  human  form  is  such  that  all  the 
parts  make  a  general  whole  which  acts  as  one,  it  fol- 
lows that  one  cannot  be  moved  out  of  place,  and 
changed  as  to  state,  except  with  consent  of  the  rest; 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  Ill 

for  if  one  should  be  moved  out  of  place  and  changed 
as  to  state,  the  form  which  acts  as  one  would  suffer. 
From  these  things  it  is  manifest,  that  the  Lord  never 
acts  into  any  particular,  unless  at  the  same  time  into 
all :  the  Lord  acts  thus  into  the  universal  angelic 
heaven,  since  the  universal  angelic  heaven  is  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord  as  one  man ;  thus  too  the  Lord  acts 
into  every  angel,  because  every  angel  is  a  heaven  in 
the  least  form;  thus  also  he  acts  into  every  man,  prox- 
imately into  all  things  of  his  mind,  and  through  these 
into  all  things  of  his  body ;  for  the  mind  of  man  is  his 
spirit,  and  according  to  conjunction  with  the  Lord  it 
is  an  angel,  and  the  body  is  obedience.  But  it  is  to  be 
well  observed,  that  the  Lord  also  acts  singly,  yea,  most 
singly,  into  every  particular  of  man,  but  at  the  same 
time  through  all  the  things  of  his  form;  yet  still  does 
not  change  the  state  of  any  part,  or  of  any  thing  in 
particular,  except  conformably  to  the  whole  form  :  but 
concerning  these  things  more  will  be  said  in  what  fol- 
lows, where  it  will  be  demonstrated  that  the  Divine 
Providence  of  the  Lord  is  universal  because  in  particu- 
lars, and  that  it  is  particular  because  it  is  universal. 
That  the  Lord  acts  from  inmost  things  and  from  ulti- 
7natcs  at  the  same  time^  is  because  thus  and  not  other- 
wise things  all  and  each  are  held  together  in  connec- 
tion ;  for  the  intermediates  depend  on  the  inmost 
things  successively  even  to  the  ultimates,  and  in  the 
ultimates  they  are  together;  for  it  was  shown  in  the 
treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wis- 
dom, in  part  third,  that  in  the  ultimate  is  the  simulta- 
neous of  all  things  from  the  first.  From  this  also  it 
is,  that  the  Lord  from  eternity,  or  Jehovah,  came  into 
the  world,  and  there  put  on  and  undertook  the  Human 
in  ultimates,  that  He  might  be  from  first  things  and  at 
the  same  time  in  ultimates,  and  thus  from  first  things 
through  ultimates  govern  the  universal  world,  and  so 
save  men,  whom,  according  to  the  laws  of  His  Divine 
Providence,  which  are  also  the  laws  of  His  Divine 
Wisdom,  he  can  save.  This  therefore  it  is,  which  is 
known  in  the  christian  world,  that  no  mortal  could 


112  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

have  been  saved,  unless  the  Lord  had  come  into  the 
world ;  concerning  which  may  be  seen  the  Doctrine 
OF  THE  New  Jerusalem  concerning  Faith,  n.  35. 
Hence  it  is  that  the  Lord  is  called  the  first  and  the  last. 

125.  These  angelic  arcana  are  premised,  that  it 
may  be  comprehended  how  the  Divine  Providence  of 
the  Lord  operates,  that  He  may  conjoin  man  to  Him- 
self and  Himself  to  man ;  this  is  not  done  upon  any 
particular  of  him  singly,  unless  upon  all  things  of  him 
at  the  same  time;  and  this  takes  place  from  man's 
inmost  and  from  his  ulti mates  at  the  same  time  : 
man's  inmost  is  his  life's  love,  the  ultimates  are  those 
things  which  are  in  the  external  of  thought,  the  inter- 
mediates are  the  things  which  are  in  the  internal  of 
his  thought;  of  wiiat  quality  these  are  with  the  evil 
man,  has  been  shown  in  what  goes  before  ;  from 
which  things  it  is  again  manifest,  that  the  Lord  can- 
not act  from  inmost  things  and  ultimates  at  the  same 
time,  unless  together  with  man,  for  man  is  together 
with  the  Lord  in  ultimates;  wherefore,  as  man  acts 
in  itltimates,  which  are  at  his  decision,  because  in 
his  freedom,  so  the  Lord  acts  from  his  inmost  things 
and  in  things  successive  to  ultimates.  Those  things 
which  are  in  man's  inmost  parts,  and  in  things  suc- 
cessive from  inmost  things  to  ultimates,  are  altogether 
unknown  to  man  ;  and  therefore  man  is  altogether 
ignorant  how  and  what  the  Lord  operates  there ;  but 
because  they  cohere  as  one  with  the  ultimates,  therefore 
it  is  not  necessary  for  man  to  know  more,  tiian  that 
he  should  shun  evils  as  sins,  and  look  to  the  Lord. 
Thus  and  not  otherwise  can  his  life's  love,  which 
from  birth  is  infernal,  be  removed  by  the  Lord,  and 
the  love  of  heavenly  life  be  implanted  in  its  place. 

126.  When  the  love  of  heavenly  life  is  implanted  by 
the  Lord  in  place  of  the  love  of  infernal  life,  then  in 
place  of  the  concupiscences  of  evil  and  falsity  are  im- 
planted the  affections  of  good  and  truth,  ^nd  in  place 
of  the  deUghts  of  the  concupiscences  of  evil  and  falsity 
are  implanted  the  delights  of  the  affections  of  good, 
and  in  place  of  the  evils  of  infernal  love  are  implanted 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  113 

the  goods  of  heavenly  love  :  then  instead  of  craftiness 
is  implanted  prudence,  and  instead  of  thoughts  of 
malice  are  implanted  thoughts  of  wisdom:  thus  man 
is  born  anew,  and  becomes  new.  What  goods  suc- 
ceed in  the  place  of  evils,  may  be  seen  in  the  Doc- 
trine OF  Life  for  the  New  Jerusalem,  n.  67  to  73,  n. 
74  to  79,  n.  80  to  86,  n.  87  to  91.  Also,  that  as  far 
as  man  shuns  and  loathes  evils  as  sins,  so  far  he  loves 
the  truths  of  wisdom,  n.  32  to  41  ;  and  that  so  far  he 
has  faith,  and  is  spiritual,  n.  42  to  52. 

127.  That  it  is  the  common  religion  in  the  univer- 
sal christian  world,  that  man  should  explore  himself, 
see  his  sins,  acknowledge  them,  confess  them  before 
God,  and  desist  from  them,  and  that  this  is  repent- 
ance, remission  of  sins,  and  thence  salvation,  was 
shown  above  from  the  exhortations  read  in  all  chris- 
tian churches  before  the  holy  communion.  The  same 
may  also  be  evident  from  the  creed  which  has  its 
name  from  Athanasius,  which  is  also  received  in  the 
universal  christian  world,  where  at  the  end  are  these 
words :  "  The  Lord  will  come  to  judge  tJie  living  and 
the  dead,  at  lohose  coming  they  loho  have  done  good 
things  will  enter  into  eternal  life,  and  they  who  have 
done  evil  things  into  eteriicd  fire^ 

128.  Who  does  not  know  from  the  Word,  that  every 
one  is  allotted  a  life  after  death  according  to  his  deeds'? 
Open  the  Word,  read  it,  and  yon  will  see  clearly ;  but 
remove  then  the  thoughts  from  faith  and  from  justifi- 
cation by  it  alone.  That  the  Lord  teaches  this  every- 
where in  His  Word,  let  these  few  things  be  for  testi- 
mony :  Every  tree  which  bringeth  not  forth  good 
FRUIT,  shall  be  cut  down  and  cast  into  the  fire ;  ichere- 
fore  from  their  fruits  shall  ye  know  them:  Matt.  vii. 
19,  20.  Many  will  say  to  Me  in  that  day,  Lord, 
have  we  not  prophesied  by  thy  name,  and  in  thy  name 
done  muny  virtues  1  but  then  I  vnll  confess  to  them,  I 
know  you  not ;  depart  from  Me,  ye  that  work  iniquity: 
Matt.  vii.  22,  23.  Every  one  who  heareth  my  icords 
and  doeth  them,  /  ivill  compare  to  a  prudent  man,  who 
built  a  house  npon  a  rock :  but  every  one  hearing  my 


114  ANGELIC  WISDOM  CONCERNING 

words  and  not  doing  them,  shall  be  convpared  to  a  fool- 
ish man,  who  built  his  lionise  upon  the  ground  without 
a  foundation :    Matt.  vii.  24,  26 ;    Luke  vi.  46  to  49. 
The  Son  of  man  7vill  come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father, 
and  then  will  he  render  to  every  one  according  to 
HIS  DEEDS  :  Matt.  xvi.  27.      The  kingdom  of  God  shall 
be  taken  axoay  from  you,  and  shall   be   given   to  a 
nation  bringing  forth  its  fruits  :  Matt.  xxi.  53.    Jesus 
said,  My  motJter  and  my  brethren  are  these,  who  hear 
the  word  of  God  and  do  it  :    Luke  viii.  21.      Then 
sliall  ye  begin  to  stand  and  knock  at  the  door,  saying, 
Lord,  open  to  us  ;  but  he,  answering,  shall  say  to  them, 
I  know  you  not  whence  ye  are ;  depart  from  me,  all 
workers  of  iniquity :  Luke  xiii.  25  to  27.      They  ivho 
have  done  good  things  shall  go  forth  into  a  resurrection 
of  life,  but  they  who  have  done  evil  things  into  a  resur- 
rection of  judgment :  John  v.  29.      We  know  that  God 
doth  not  hear  sinners,  bnt  if  any  one  worship  God,  and 
DO  his  will,  him  He  heareth:  John  ix.  21.     If  ye  know 
these  things,  blessed  are  ye  if  ye  do  them :  John  xii.  17. 
He  who  hath  ony  precepts,  and  doeth  them,  he  it  is  who 
loveth  m.e,  and  I  will  love  Itim,  and  will  com,e  to  him, 
and  make  an  abode  with  him  :  John  xiv.  15,  21  to  24. 
Ye  are  iny  friends,  if  ye  do  whatever  I  commatid  you : 
I  have  chosen  you  that  ye  should  bear  fruits,  and  that 
your  fruit  should  remain  :  John  xv.  14, 16.     The  Lord 
said  to  John,  Write  to  the  angel  of  the  Ephesiaxi  church, 
I  KNOW  THY"  WORKS  :  /  havc  against  thee,  that  thou  hast 
left  the  former  charity;  repent,  and  do  the  former 
WORKS ;    if  not,  I  will  m.ove   thy  candlestick  from  its 
place:  Apoc.  ii.  1,  2,  4,  5.      To  the  cm  gel  of  the  church 
of  the  Smy means  write,  I  know  thy  works  :  Apoc.  ii. 
8.      To  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Pergamvs  rorite,  I 
know  thy  works;  repent:  Apoc  ii.   13,  16.      To  the 
angel  of  the   church   in    Thyatira  write,  I   knoav  thy 
WORKS  AND  charity  ;  and  thy  latter  works  more  than 
the  first :  Apoc.  ii.  26.      To  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Sardis  ivrife,  I  know  thy  avorks,  that  thou  hast  a  7iame 
that  thou  livest,  but  art  dead ;   I  have  not  found  thy 
works  perfect  before  God;  repent  :  Apoc.  iii.  1,  2,  3. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  115 

To  the  angel  of  the  church  which  is  in  Philadelphia 
write,  I  KNOW  thy  works  :  Apoc.  iii.  7,  8.  To  the 
angel  of  the  church  of  the  Laodiceans  write,  I  know  thy 
works;  repent:  Apoc.  iii.  14,  15,  19.  I  heard  a  voice 
from  heaven  saying,  Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead,  who 
die  in  the  Lord  from  now ;  their  works  follow  them  : 
Apoc.  xiv.  13.  A  book  loas  opened,  jvhich  is  that  of 
life,  and  the  dead  were  judged,  all  according  to  their 
works  :  Apoc.  xx.  12,  13.  Behold,  I'  come  qnickly, 
and  my  reward  is  with  tne,  that  I  may  give  to  every 
one  according  to  his  work  :  Apoc.  xxii.  12.  These  are 
in  the  New  Testament :  there  are  still  more  in  the 
Old,  from  which  I  shall  adduce  this  only  :  Stand  in 
the  gate  of  Jehovah,  and  proclaim  there  this  word; 
thus  said  Jehovah  Zebaoth,  God  of  Israel,  Render  good 
your  loays,  and  your  rvorks  ;  do  not  trust  to  yourselves 
upon  the  uwrds  of  a  lie,  saying,  the  temple  of  Jehovah, 
the  temple  of  Jehovah,  the  temple  of  Jehovah  are  these  : 
will  ye,  in  stealing,  killing,  and  committing  adultery, 
and  in  sioearing  by  a  lie,  afterwards  come,  and  stand 
before  Me  in  this  house,  upon  n-hich  my  name  is  named, 
and  say.  We  have  been  seized,  while  ye  do  these  abomi- 
nations 7  has  this  house  become  a  den  of  robbers  7  even 
I,  behold,  I  have  seeti ;  the  saying  is  JehovaKs :  Jer. 
vii.  1,  3,  4,  9,  10,  11. 


that  it  is  a  law  of  the  divine  providence,  that  man 
should  not  be  compelled  by  external  means  to 
thinking  and  willing,  thus  to  believing  and  loving, 
the  things  which  are  of  religion;  but  that  man 
should  lead,  and  sometimes  compel,  himself. 

129.  This  law  of  the  Divine  Providence  follows 
from  the  two  preceding  ones,  which  are,  that  man 
should  act  from  freedom  according  to  reason  ;  con- 
cerning which,  n.  71  to  99  :  and  that  he  shonld  do 
this  of  himself,  although  from  the  Lord,  thus  as  of 
himself;  concerning  which,  n.  100  to  128  :  and  be- 
cause being  compelled  is  not  from  freedom  according 


116  ANGELIC    AVISDOM    CONCERNING 

to  reason,  and  is  not  of  one's  self,  but  is  from  non- 
freedom,  and  from  another,  therefore  tfiis  law  of  the 
Divine    Providence   follows   in    order    after    the    two 
former  ones :  every  one  also  knows,  that  no  one  can 
be  compelled  to  think  what  he  does  not  will  to  think, 
and  to  will  what  he  thinks  not  to  will,  thus  neither  to 
believe  what  he  does  not  believe,  and  not  at  all  what 
he  does  not  will  to  believe,  nor  to  love  what  he  does 
not  love,  and  hot  at  all  what  he  does  not  will  to  love ; 
for  the  spirit  of  man  or  his  mind  is  in  full  liberty  of 
thinking,    willing,   believing,    and    loving:    in   which 
liberty   it    is   from   influx   from    the    spiritual   world, 
which  does  not  compel,  for  the  spirit  or  mind  of  man 
is  in  that  world ;  but  not  from  influx  from  the  natural 
world,  which  is  not  received,  unless  they  act  as  one : 
man  can  be  driven  to  say  that  he  thinks  and  wills 
these   things,   and   that   he  believes  and  loves   these 
things ;  but  if  they  are  not  or  do  not  become  of  his 
affection  and  thence  of  his  reason,  he  still  does  not 
think,  will,  believe,  and  love  them  :  man  may  also  be 
compelled   to  speak   in   favor  of  religion,  and  to  do 
according  to  it,  but  he  cannot  be  compelled  to  think  in 
favor  of  it  from  any  faith,  and  to  will  it  from  any 
love :  every  one  also,  in  kingdoms  in  which  justice 
and  judgment   are  maintained,   is   compelled   not   to 
speak  against  religion,  nor  to  act  against  it;  but  still 
no  one  can  be  compelled  to  think  and  will  in  favor  of 
it;  for  it  is  in  the  liberty  of  every  one  to  think  with 
hell,  and  to  will  in  favor  of  it;  and  also  to  think  in 
favor  of  heaven,  and  to  will  in  favor  of  it;  but  reason 
teaches  what  the  one  is  and  what  the  other,  and  what 
lot  awaits  the  one  and  what  lot  the  other;  and  the 
will  has  choice  and  election  from  reason.     From  these 
things   it  inay  be  evident   that   the   external   cannot 
compel  the  internal :    yet  it  is  sometimes  done ;  but 
that  it  is  injurious,  will  be  demonstrated  in  this  order. 
I.  That  no  one  is  reformed  by  miracles  and   signs, 
because  they  compel.     II.  That  no  one  is  reformed  by 
visions,  and  by  discourses  with  the  deceased,  because 
they  compel.     III.  That  no  one  is  reformed  by  threats 


THE    DIVfNE    PROVIDENCE.  117 

and  punishments,  because  they  compel.  IV.  That  no 
one  is  reformed  in  states  of  non-rationahty  and  non- 
liberty.  V.  That  it  is  not  contrary  to  rationahty  and 
liberty  to  compel  one's  self.  VI.  That  the  external 
man  is  to  be  reformed  by  the  internal,  and  not  the 
reverse. 

130.  I.  That  7iQ  one  is  reformed  by  'miracles  and 
sigtis,  because  they  compel.  That  man  has  an  inter- 
nal and  an  external  of  thought,  and  that  the  Lord 
flows  in  through  the  internal  of  thought  into  its  exter- 
nal with  man,  and  thus  teaches  and  leads  him,  was 
shown  above :  also  that  it  is  from  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence of  the  Lord  that  man  should  act  from  freedom 
according  to  reason  :  both  of  these  would  perish  with 
man,  if  miracles  were  done,  and  man  was  driven  by 
them  to  believe.  That  it  is  so,  may  be  seen  ration- 
ally thus  :  it  cannot  be  denied  but  that  miracles  induce 
faith  and  strongly  persuade  that  that  is  true  which 
he  who  does  the  miracles  says  and  teaches ;  and  that 
this  in  the  commencement  so  occupies  the  external  of 
man's  thought,  that  it  as  it  were  binds  and  enchants : 
but  man  is  thereby  deprived  of  his  two  faculties,  which 
are  called  rationality  and  liberty,  so  that  he  cannot  act 
from  freedom  according  to  reason,  and  then  the  Lord 
cannot  flow  in  through  the  internal  into  the  external 
of  his  thought,  except  only  to  leave  to  man  to  confirm 
that  thing  from  his  rationality  which  was  made  of 
his  faith  by  the  miracle.  The  state  of  man's  thought 
is  such,  that  by  the  internal  of  thought  he  sees  a  thing 
in  the  external  of  his  thought,  as  in  a  certain  mirror; 
for,  as  was  said  above,  man  can  see  his  thought, 
which  cannot  be  given  except  from  interior  thought; 
and  when  he  sees  a  thing  as  in  a  mirror,  he  can  also 
turn  it  hither  and  thither,  and  form  it,  until  it  appears 
beautiful  to  him :  which  thing,  if  it  is  a  truth,  may  be 
compared  to  a  virgin  or  a  youth  beautiful  and  living; 
but  if  man  cannot  turn  that  thing  hither  and  thither, 
and  form  it,  but  only  believe  it  from  persuasion  induced 
by  a  miracle,  if  then  it  is  a  truth,  it  may  be  compared 
to  a  virgin  or  a  youth  sculptured  from  stone  or  wood, 


118  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCliKN'lNG 

in  which  the  living  is  not:  and  it  may  also  be  com- 
pared to  an  object  that  is  continually  before  the  sight, 
which  alone  is  seen,  and  hides  all  that  which  is  each 
way  on  the  side,  and  which  is  behind  it :  it  may  also 
be  compared  to  a  continual  sound  in  the  ear,  which 
takes  away  the  perception  of  harmony  from  many 
[sounds] :  such  blindness  and  deafness  is  induced 
upon  the  human  mind  by  miracles.  It  is  the  like 
with  everything  confirmed,  which  is  not  looked  at 
from  any  rationality  before  it  is  confirmed. 

131.  From  these  things  it  may  be  evident,  that 
faith  induced  by  miracles  is  not  faith,  but  persuasion; 
for  there  is  not  any  rational  in  it,  still  less  any  spirit- 
ual ;  for  it  is  only  an  external  without  an  internal :  it 
is  the  like  with  all  that  man  does  from  that  persuasive 
faith,  whether  he  acknowledges  God,  or  worships 
Him  at  home  or  in  temples,  or  does  kindnesses:  when 
a  miracle  alone  induces  man  to  acknowledgment,  wor- 
ship and  piety,  he  acts  from  the  natural  man,  and  not 
from  the  spiritual ;  for  a  miracle  infuses  faith  through 
an  external  way,  and  not  through  an  internal  way ; 
thus  from  the  world,  and  not  from  heaven ;  and  the 
Lord  does  not  enter  through  any  other  way  with  man 
but  through  the  internal  way,  which  is  through  the 
Word,  doctrine  and  preachings  from  it :  and  because 
miracles  shut  this  way,  therefore  at  this  day  no  mira- 
cles are  done. 

132.  That  miracles  are  such,  may  be  manifestly 
evident  from  the  miracles  done  before  the  Jewish  and 
Israelitish  people ;  although  the  latter  saw  so  many 
miracles  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  afterwards  at  the 
Red  sea,  and  others  in  the  desert,  and  especially  upon 
mount  Sinai,  where  the  law  was  promulgated ;  yet 
after  the  days  of  a  month,  when  Moses  tarried  upon 
that  mountain,  they  made  a  golden  calf,  and  acknowl- 
edged it  instead  of  Jehovah  who  led  them  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt :  Ex.  xxxii.  4,  5,  6.  And  also  from 
the  miracles  done  afterwards  in  the  land  of  Canaan  ; 
and  yet  they  receded  so  many  times  from  the  worship 
commanded.      Just  so  from  the  miracles  which  the 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  119 

Lord  did  before  them  when  He  was  in  the  world ;  and 
yet  they  crucified  Him.  The  reason  that  miracles 
were  done  among  them  was,  because  the  Jews  and 
Israehtes  were  altogether  external  men,  and  were 
introduced  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  that  by  the  exter- 
nals of  worship  they  might  only  represent  a  church 
and  its  internals,  and  a  bad  man  can  represent  equally 
as  a  good  one;  for  externals  are  the  rituals,  all  of 
which  with  them  signified  spiritual  and  celestial 
things ;  yea,  Aaron,  although  he  made  the  golden  calf, 
and  commanded  the  worship  of  it,  Ex.  xxxii.  2,  3,  4, 
5,  35,  could  still  represent  the  Lord  and  His  work  of 
salvation  :  and  because  they  could  not  by  the  internals 
of  worship  be  led  to  represent  these  things,  therefore 
they  were  led,  yea,  were  driven  and  compelled  to  it, 
by  miracles.  The  reason  that  they  could  not  be  led 
by  the  internals  of  worship  was,  because  they  did  not 
acknowledge  the  Lord,  although  the  whole  Word, 
which  was  with  them,  treats  of  Him  alone ;  and  he 
who  does  not  acknowledge  the  Lord,  cannot  receive 
any  internal  of  worship  :  but  after  the  Lord  manifest- 
ed Himself,  and  was  received  and  acknowledged  as 
the  eternal  God  in  the  churches,  miracles  ceased. 

133.  But  tlie  effect  of  miracles  is  other  with  the 
good  than  with  the  evil ;  the  good  do  not  wish  mira- 
cles, but  believe  the  miracles  which  are  in  the  Word ; 
and  if  they  hear  anything  concerning  a  miracle,  they 
do  not  attend  to  it  otherwise  than  as  to  a  light  argu- 
ment which  confirms  their  faith ;  for  they  think  from 
the  Word,  thus  from  the  Lord,  and  not  from  a  mira- 
cle. The  evil  do  otherwise :  they  indeed  may  be 
driven  and  compelled  to  faith,  yea,  to  worship  and  to 
piety,  by  miracles ;  but  only  for  a  little  time  ;  for  their 
evils  are  shut  up,  the  concupiscences  of  which,  and 
the  delights  thence,  continually  act  into  the  external 
of  their  worship  and  piety  ;  and  that  they  may  get  out 
of  their  confinement  and  burst  forth,  they  think  con- 
cerning the  miracle,  and  at  length  call  it  a  mockery 
and  an  artifice,  or  the  work  of  nature,  and  thus  they 
return  into  their  evils ;  and  he  who  returns  into  his 


120  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

evils  after  worshif),  profanes  the  truths  and  goods  of 
worship  ;  and  the  lot  of  profaners  after  death  is  the 
worst  of  all :  these  are  they  who  are  understood  by 
the  words  of  the  Lord  in  Matt.  xii.  43,  44,  45 ;  whose 
latter  state  becomes  worse  than  the  former.  Besides, 
if  miracles  were  done  with  those  who  do  not  believe 
from  the  miracles  in  the  Word,  they  would  be  done 
continually  and  before  the  sight  with  all  such.  From 
these  things  it  may  be  evident  whence  it  is  that  mira- 
cles are  not  done  at  this  day. 

134.  II.  That  no  one  is  reformed  by  visions  and  by 
discourses  with  the  deceased.,  because  they  compel.  Vis- 
ions are  of  two  kinds,  divine  and  diabolical :  divine 
visions  take  place  by  representatives  in  heaven  ;  and 
diabolical  visions  take  place  by  things  magical  in 
hell :  there  are  also  fantastic  visions,  which  are  the 
sportings  of  an  abstract  mind.  Divine  visions,  which, 
as  was  said,  take  place  by  representatives  in  heaven, 
are  such  as  the  prophets  had,  who,  when  they 
were  in  them,  were  not  in  the  body,  but  in  the  spirit; 
for  visions  cannot  appear  to  any  man  in  the  wake- 
fulness of  his  body;  wherefore,  when  they  appeared 
to  the  prophets,  it  is  also  said  that  they  were  then 
in  the  spirit;  as  is  manifest  from  these  things  follow- 
ing :  Ezekiel  says,  "  The  spirit  took  me  up,  and  led 
me  back  into  Chaldea,  to  the  captivity,  in  the  Vision 
OF  God  in  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  thus  the  Vision  which  I 
saw  went  up  over  me:"  xi.  1,  24:  Again,  that  "the 
Spirit  took  him  up  between  earth  and  heaven,  and  led 
him  away  into  Jerusalem  in  the  visions  of  God  :" 
viii.  3,  and  following  verses  :  in  like  manner  he  was 
in  the  vision  of  God  or  in  the  spirit  when  he  saw  the 
four  animals,  which  were  cherubs,  chap.  i.  and  chap. 
X. :  as  also,  when  he  saw  the  new  temple  and  new 
earth,  and  the  angel  measuring  them,  chap.  xl.  to 
xlviii.  :  that  he  was  then  in  the  visions  of  God,  he 
says,  chap.  xl.  2,  26  ;  and  that  he  was  in  the  spirit, 
chap,  xliii.  5.  In  a  like  state  was  Zachariah,  when  he 
saw  a  man  riding  among  the  myrtles,  chap.  i.  8,  and 
following  verses.     When  he  saw  the  four  horns,  and 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  121 

the  man  in  whose  hand  was  a  measuring  cord,  chap, 
ii.  1,  3,  and  following  verses.  When  he  saw  the  can- 
dlestick, and  the  two  olive-trees,  chap.  iv.  1,  and 
following  verses.  When  he  saw  the  flying  scroll, 
and  the  ephah,  chap.  v.  1,  6.  When  he  saw  four 
chariots  going  out  between  four  mountains,  and  the 
horses,  chap.  vi.  1,  and  following  verses.  In  a  like 
state  Avas  Daniel,  when  he  saw  the  four  beasts  coming 
up  out  of  the  sea,  chap.  vi.  1,  and  following  verses  : 
And  when  he  saw  the  battles  of  the  ram  and  the  he- 
goat,  chap.  viii.  1,  and  following  verses:  that  he  saw 
these  things  in  a  vision  of  his  spirit  is  said  in  chap, 
vii.  1,  2,  7,  13;  chap.  viii.  2;  chap.  x.  1,  7,  8:  and 
that  the  angel  Gabriel  was  seen  by  him  in  vision, 
chap.  ix.  21.  John  also  Avas  in  a  vision  of  the  spirit 
when  he  saw  the  things  which  he  described  in  the 
Apocalypse  ;  as  when  he  saw  the  seven  candlesticks, 
and  in  the  midst  of  them  the  Son  of  man  :  chap.  i.  12 
to  26.  When  he  saw  a  throne  in  heaven,  and  one 
sitting  upon  the  throne,  and  four  animals,  which 
were  cherubs,  around  it :  chap.  iv.  When  he  saw  the 
book  of  life  taken  by  the  Lamb  :  chap.  v.  When  he 
saw  the  horses  going  out  of  the  book  :  chap.  vi. 
When  he  saw  the  seA^en  angels  with  trumpets  :  chap, 
viii.  When  he  saw-  the  pit  of  the  abyss  opened,  and 
the  locusts  going  out  thence:  chap.  ix.  When  he 
saAV  the  dragon,  and  his  battle  with  Michael :  chap.  xii. 
When  he  saAV  the  tAvo  beasts  ascending,  the  one  out  of 
the  sea,  the  other  out  of  the  earth  :  chap.  xiii.  When 
he  saAV  the  Avoman  sitting  upon  a  scarlet  beast :  chap, 
xvii.  And  Babylon  destroyed  :  chap,  xviii.  When  he 
saw  the  white  horse,  and  one  sitting  upon  him :  chap, 
xviii.  When  he  saw  the  new  heaven  and  the  ncAV 
earth,  and  the  holy  Jerusalem  descendingout  of  heaven  : 
chap.  xxi.  And  Avhen  he  saAV  the  river  of  Avater  of  life  : 
chap.  xxii.  That  he  saw  them  in  a  vision  of  the 
spirit,  is  said  in  chap.  i.  ]  1  ;  chap.  iv.  2 ;  chap.  v.  1  ; 
chap.  vi.  1 ;  chap.  xxi.  12.  Such  Avere  the  visions 
which  appeared  from  heaven  before  the  sight  of  their 
spirits,  and  not  before  the  sight  of  their  bodies.  Such 
11 


122  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

do  not  exist  at  this  day,  for  if  they  existed,  they 
would  not  be  understood,  because  they  are  done  by 
representatives,  each  of  wliich  signifies  the  internals 
of  the  church  and  arcana  of  heaven  :  that  they  were 
also  about  to  cease  when  the  Lord  came  into  the 
world,  is  foretold  by  Daniel,  chap.  ix.  24.  But  dia- 
holical  visions  have  sometimes  existed,  brought  on 
by  enthusiastic  and  visionary  spirits,  who,  from  the 
delirium  in  which  they  were,  called  themselves  the 
Holy  Spirit.  But  those  spirits  are  now  collected  by 
the  Lord,  and  cast  down  into  a  hell  separate  from  the 
hells  of  others.  From  these  things  it  is  manifest, 
that  no  one  can  be  reformed  by  visions  other  than 
those  which  are  in  the  Word.  There  are  also  fcm- 
tastic  visions,  but  they  are  the  mere  spor tings  of  an 
abstract  mind. 

134|.  That  neither  can  any  one  be  reformed  by 
discourses  with  the  deceased,  is  evident  from  the 
words  of  the  Lord  concerning  the  rich  one  in  hell, 
and  concerning  Lazarus  in  Abraham's  bosom  ;  for  the 
rich  one  said,  /  beseech  thee,  father  Abraham,  that 
thou  woiddst  send  Lazarus  unto  my  father'' s  house,  for 
I  have  five  brethren,  that  he  may  testify  to  them,,  lest 
they  also  come  info  this  place  of  torment:  Abraham 
said  to  him,  They  have  Moses  and  the  jirophets,  let  them 
hear  them  :  but  he  said,  Nay,  father  Abraham,  but  if 
one  from,  the  dead  came  to  them,  they  would  repent : 
he  answered  him,  If  they  hear  not  Moses  and  the 
prophets,  neither  ivill  they  be  persuaded  if  one  rose 
from  the  dead:  Luke  xvi.  27  to  3L  Speaking  with 
the  dead  would  produce  a  like  efFecc  as  miracles,  con- 
cerning which  just  above  ;  namely,  that  man  would 
be  persuaded  and  driven  to  worship  for  a  little  time; 
but  because  this  deprives  man  of  rationality,  and  at 
the  same  time  shuts  in  evils,  as  was  said  above,  this 
enchantment  or  internal  bond  is  loosed,  and  the  evils 
shut  in  burst  forth,  with  blasphemy  and  profanation  : 
but  this  takes  place  only  when  the  spirits  induce  some 
dogma  of  religion  ;  which  is  never  done  by  any  good 
spirit,  still  less  by  any  angel  of  heaven. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  123 

135.  Yet  speaking  v/ith  spirits,  but  rarely  with 
angels  of  heaven,  is  still  given,  and  has  been  given  for 
many  ages  back ;  but  when  it  is  given,  they  speak 
with  man  in  his  mother-tongue,  yet  only  a  few 
words:  but  they  who  speak  from  permission  of  the 
Lord,  never  speak  anything  which  takes  away  free- 
dom of  reason,  nor  teach  ;  for  the  Lord  alone  teaches 
man,  but  mediately  through  the  Word  in  illustration; 
which  is  treated  of  in  what  follows :  that  it  is  so,  it 
has  been  given  to  know  from  my  own  experience ;  I 
have  had  speech  with  spirits  and  with  angels  now  for 
many  years,  neither  has  any  spirit  dared,  nor  any 
angel  wished,  to  tell  me  anything,  still  less  to  instruct 
me  concerning  any  things  in  the  Word,  or  concerning 
any  doctrinal  from  the  Word  ;  but  the  Lord  alone  has 
taught  me,  who  was  revealed  to  me,  and  afterwards 
continually  appeared  and  appears  before  my  eyes  as 
a  sun  in  which  He  is,  as  He  appears  to  the  angels; 
and  has  illustrated  me. 

136.  III.  That  no  one  is  reformed  by  threats  and 
pnnishmeiits,  because  they  compel.  It  is  known  that 
the  external  cannot  compel  the  internal,  but  that  the 
internal  can  compel  the  external :  again,  it  is  known 
that  the  internal  is  so  averse  lo  compulsion  from  the 
external,  that  it  turns  itself  away :  and  it  is  also 
known,  that  external  delights  allure  the  internal  to 
consent  and  to  love  :  it  may  also  be  known,  that  there 
is  given  internal  compulsion  and  internal  freedom. 
But  all  these  things,  although  they  are  known,  are 
still  to  be  illustrated;  for  there  are  many  things,  which, 
when  they  are  heard,  are  immediately  perceived  to  be 
so,  because  they  are  true,  and  hence  are  affirmed;  but 
if  they  are  not  at  the  same  time  confirmed  by  reasons, 
they  may  be  weakened  by  arguments  from  fallacies, 
and  at  length  denied ;  wherefore  these  things  which 
have  been  now  stated  as  known,  are  to  be  resumed, 
and  confirmed  rationally.  First,  Tliat  the  external 
cannot  compel  the  internal.^  but  that  the  internal  can 
compel  the  external.  Who  can  be  compelled  to  believe 
and  to  love?  one  can  no  more  be  compelled  to  believe, 


124  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

than  to  think  a  thing  is  so,  when  he  thinks  it  is  not 
so;  and  one  can  no  more  be  compelled  to  love,  than 
to  will  what  he  does  not  will ;  faith  also  is  of  the 
thought,  and  love  is  of  the  will :  but  the  internal  may 
be  compelled  by  the  external  not  to  speak  ill  against 
the  laws  of  the  kingdom,  the  morals  of  life,  and  the 
sanctities  of  the  church  :  to  this  the  internal  may  be 
compelled  by  threats  and  punishments,  and  also  is 
and  must  be  compelled;  but  this  internal  is  not  an 
internal  properly  human,  but  it  is  the  internal  which 
man  has  in  common  with  beasts,  which  can  also  be 
compelled  ;  the  human  internal  resides  above  this  ani- 
mal internal ;  the  human  internal  is  here  understood, 
which  cannot  be  compelled.  Secondly,  That  the 
internal  is  so  averse  to  conipalsion  from  the  external^ 
that  it  turns  itself  away.  The  reason  is,  because  the 
internal  wishes  to  be  in  freedom,  and  loves  freedom; 
for  freedom  is  of  the  love  or  life  of  man,  as  was  shown 
above ;  wherefore,  when  freedom  feels  itself  to  be 
compelled,  it  draws  itself  back  as  if  into  itself,  and 
turns  itself  away,  and  looks  at  compulsion  as  its 
enemy;  for  love,  which  makes  man's  life,  is  exaspe- 
rated, and  causes  man  to  think  that  thus  he  is  not  his 
own,  consequently  that  he  does  not  live  for  himself. 
That  man's  internal  is  such,  is  from  the  law  of  the 
Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  that  man  should  act 
from  freedom  according  to  reason.  From  these  things 
it  is  manifest,  that  it  is  injurious  to  compel  men  to 
divine  worship  by  threats  and  punishments.  But 
there  are  those  who  suffer  themselves  to  be  compelled 
to  religion,  and  there  are  those  who  do  not ;  those  who 
suffer  themselves  to  be  compelled  to  religion  are  many 
from  the  popish  nations ;  but  this  is  done  with  those 
with  whom  there  is  nothing  internal  in  worship,  but 
all  is  external :  those  who  do  not  suffer  themselves  to 
be  compelled  are  many  from  the  English  nation  ;  from 
this  it  comes  that  there  is  an  internal  in  their  worship, 
and  that  what  is  in  the  external  is  from  the  internal : 
the  interiors  of  these  as  to  religion  appear  in  spiritual 
light  like  bright  clouds ;  but  the  interioi's  of  the  former 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  125 

as  to  religion  appear  in  the  light  of  heaven  like  dark 
clouds :  both  of  these  are  given  to  be  seen  in  the  spir- 
itual world,  and  he  who  wishes  will  see  them,  when 
he  comes  into  that  world  after  death  :  moreover,  com- 
pelled worship  shuts  in  evils,  which  then  lie  hid  like 
fires  in  wood  under  ashes,  which  continually  kindle 
and  spread,  until  they  burst  forth  into  a  conflagration  : 
but  worship  not  compelled,  but  spontaneous,  does  not 
shut  in  evils ;  wherefore  they  are  as  fires  which  imme- 
diately burn  out  and  are  dissipated.  From  these 
things  it  is  manifest,  that  the  internal  is  so  averse  to 
compulsion,  that  it  turns  itself  away.  That  the  inter- 
nal can  compel  the  external,  is  because  the  internal  is 
as  a  lord,  and  the  external  as  a  servant.  Thirdly, 
That  external  delights  allure  the  internal  to  consent,  and 
also  to  love.  Delights  are  of  two  kinds,  the  delights 
of  the  understanding  and  the  delights  of  the  will ;  the 
delights  of  the  understanding  are  also  delights  of  wis- 
dom, and  the  delights  of  the  will  are  also  delights  of 
love;  for  wisdom  is  of  the  understanding,  and  love  is 
of  the  will :  now  because  the  delights  of  the  body  and 
its  senses,  which  are  external  delights,  act  as  one  with 
the  internal  delights,  which  are  of  the  understanding 
and  will,  it  follows  that  as  the  internal  is  averse  to 
compulsion  from  the  external,  until  it  turns  itself 
away,  so  the  internal  looks  with  gratification  upon 
the  delight  in  the  external,  until  it  turns  itself  to  it; 
thus  consent  takes  place  on  the  part  of  the  under- 
standing, and  love  on  the  part  of  the  will.  All  infants 
in  the  spiritual  world  are  introduced  by  the  Lord  into 
angelic  wisdom,  and  by  it  into  heavenly  love,  by 
means  of  delightful  and  pleasant  things ;  first  by  beau- 
tiful things  in  the  houses,  and  by  pleasant  things  in 
gardens;  and  then  by  representatives  of  spiritual 
things,  which  affect  the  interiors  of  their  minds  with 
pleasure;  and  at  length  by  the  truths  of  wisdom,  and 
so  by  the  goods  of  love ;  thus  continuously  by  delights 
in  their  order,  first  by  the  delights  of  the  love  of  the 
understanding  and  its  wisdom,  and  at  length  by  the 
delights  of  the  love  of  the  will,  which  becomes  their 


126  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

life's  love,  under  which  the  rest  of  the  things  which 
have  entered  by  means  of  delights  are  kept  subor- 
dinate. This  is  done,  because  everything  of  the 
understanding  and  will  is  to  be  formed  by  the  external 
before  it  is  formed  by  the  internal;  for  everything  of 
the  understanding  and  will  is  formed  first  by  those 
things  which  enter  through  the  senses  of  the  body, 
especially  through  the  sight  and  the  hearing :  but 
when  the  first  understanding  and  the  first  will  are 
formed,  then  the  internal  of  thought  looks  at  those 
things  as  the  externals  of  its  thought,  and  either  con- 
joins itself  with  them,  or  separates  itself  from  them ; 
it  conjoins  itself  with  them  if  they  are  delightful,  and 
separates  itself  from  them  if  they  are  not.  But  it  is 
to  be  well  known,  that  the  internal  of  the  understand- 
ing does  not  conjoin  itself  with  the  internal  of  the  will, 
but  that  the  internal  of  the  will  conjoins  itself  with 
the  internal  of  the  understanding,  and  causes  that 
there  should  be  a  reciprocal  conjunction ;  but  this  is 
done  by  the  internal  of  the  will,  and  not  in  the  least 
^by  the  internal  of  the  understanding.  Hence  it  is, 
that  man  cannot  be  reformed  by  faith  alone,  but  by 
the  love  of  the  will,  which  makes  a  faith  to  itself. 
Fourthly,  That  there  is  gioen  internal  compulsion  arid 
internal  freedom.  Internal  compulsion  is  given  with 
those  who  are  in  external  worship  alone,  and  no  inter- 
nal ;  for  their  internal  is  to  think  and  will  that  to 
which  the  external  is  compelled :  these  are  they  who 
are  in  the  worship  of  living  and  dead  men,  and  hence 
in  the  worship  of  idols,  and  in  the  faith  of  miracles; 
with  these  no  other  internal  is  given  but  what  is  at 
the  same  time  external.  But  with  those  who  are  in 
the  internal  of  worship,  there  is  given  internal  com- 
pulsion, one  from  fear,  and  another  from  love :  inter- 
nal compulsion  from  fear  is  with  those  who  are  in 
worship  from  fear  of  the  torment  of  hell  and  its  fire; 
but  this  internal  is  not  the  internal  of  thought,  which 
was  before  treated  of,  but  the  external  of  thought, 
which  is  here  called  internal  because  it  is  of  thought: 
the  internal  of  thought  which  was  before  treated  of. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  127 

cannot  be  compelled  by  any  fear ;  but  it  can  be  com- 
pelled by  love  and  by  the  fear  of  its  loss :  the  fear  of 
God  in  the  genuine  sense  is  nothing  else ;  to  be  com- 
pelled by  love  and  by  the  fear  of  its  loss  is  to  compel 
one's  self  That  compelling  one"s  self  is  not  contrary 
to  liberty  and  rationality,  will  be  seen  below. 

137.  From  these  things  it  may  be  evident,  what  is 
compelled  worship,  and  worship  not  compelled  :  com- 
pelled worship  is  corporeal,  inanimate,  obscure,  and 
sad  worship ;  corporeal,  because  it  is  of  the  body  and 
not  of  the  mind ;  inanimate,  because  there  is  not  life 
in  it;  obscure,  because  there  is  not  understanding  in 
it ;  and  sad,  because  there  is  not  the  dehght  of  heaven 
in  it.  But  worship  not  compelled,  when  it  is  genuine, 
is  spiritual,  living,  lucid,  and  glad  worship;  spiritual, 
because  there  is  spirit  from  the  Lord  in  it;  living, 
because  there  is  life  from  the  Lord  in  it ;  lucid,  because 
there  is  wisdom  from  the  Lord  in  it;  and  glad,  because 
there  is  heaven  from  the  Lord  in  it. 

138.  IV.  That  no  one  is  reformed  in  states  of  non- 
rationality  and  non-liberty.  It  was  shown  above,  that 
nothing  is  appropriated  to  man,  except  what  he  does 
from  freedom  according  to  reason ;  the  cause  is,  that 
freedom  is  of  the  will,  and  reason  is  of  the  understand- 
ing; and  when  man  acts  from  freedom  according  to 
reason,  then  he  acts  from  the  will  by  his  understand- 
ing ;  and  that  which  is  done  in  the  conjunction  of  both 
is  appropriated.  Now  because  the  Lord  wills  that 
man  should  be  reformed  and  regenerated,  that  he  may 
have  eternal  life  or  the  life  of  heaven,  and  no  one  can 
be  reformed  and  regenerated  unless  good  is  appropri- 
ated to  his  will  that  it  may  be  as  his,  and  truth  to  his 
understanding  that  it  may  also  be  as  his,  and  because 
nothing  can  be  appropriated  to  any  one,  except  what 
is  made  of  the  understanding  from  freedom  of  will 
according  to  reason,  it  follows  that  no  one  is  reformed 
in  states  of  non-liberty  and  non-rationality.  The 
states  of  non-liberty  and  non-rationality  are  many; 
but  in  general  they  may  be  referred  to  these,  to  states 
of  fear  ^  of  misfortune^  of  disorder  of  nii?id  [animus], 


128  ANGELIC    WISBOIVI    CONCERNING 

of  disease  of  the  hody^  of  ignorance,  and  of  blindness 
of  the  understanding ;  but  something  shall  be  said 
concerning  each  state  in  particular. 

139.  That  no  one  is  reformed  in  a  State  of  Fear, 
is  because  fear  takes  away  freedom  and  reason,  or 
liberty  and  rationality ;  for  love  opens  the  interiors  of 
the  mind,  but  fear  closes  them;  and  when  they  are 
closed,  man  thinks  few  things,  and  only  those  which 
then  offer  themselves  to  the  mind  [animus]  or  to  the 
senses :  all  fears  which  invade  the  mind  {animiis]  are 
such.  That  man  has  an  internal  of  thought  and  an 
external  of  thought,  has  been  shown  above :  fear  can 
never  invade  the  internal  of  thought;  this  is  always 
in  freedom,  because  in  the  love  of  its  life:  but  it  can 
invade  the  external  of  thought,  and  when  it  invades 
this,  the  internal  of  thought  is  closed ;  which  being 
closed,  man  can  no  longer  act  from  freedom  according 
to  his  reason,  thus  not  be  reformed.  The  fear  which 
invades  the  external  of  thought  and  closes  the  internal, 
is  chiefly  the  fear  of  the  loss  of  honor  or  gain  ;  but  fear 
for  civil  punishments  and  for  external  ecclesiastical 
punishments  does  not  close,  because  those  laws  only 
dictate  punishments  for  those  who  speak  and  act  con- 
trary to  the  civil  things  of  the  kingdom  and  the  spir- 
itual things  of  the  church,  but  not  for  those  who  think 
contrary  to  them.  Fear  for  infernal  punishments 
indeed  invades  the  external  of  thought,  but  only  for  a 
few  moments,  or  hours,  or  days ;  but  it  is  soon  let 
back  into  its  freedom  from  the  internal  of  thought, 
which  is  properly  of  its  spirit  and  life's  love,  and  is 
called  the  thought  of  the  heart.  But  fear  for  the 
loss  of  honor  and  gain  invades  the  external  of  man's 
thought ;  and  when  it  invades,  it  then  closes  the  inter- 
nal of  thought  from  above  for  influx  from  heaven,  and 
causes  that  man  cannot  be  reformed  :  the  reason  is, 
because  the  life's  love  of  every  man  from  birth  is  the 
love  of  self  and  of  the  world,  and  the  love  of  self  makes 
one  with  the  love  of  honor,  and  the  love  of  the  world 
makes  one  with  the  love  of  gain ;  wherefore  when 
man  is  in  honor  or  in  gain,  from  fear  for  the  loss  of 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  129 

them  he  confirms  with  himself  the  means  which  sub- 
serve him  for  honor  and  gain,  which  are  as  well  civil 
as  ecclesiastical,  both  being  of  authority  :  in  like  man- 
ner does  he  who  is  not  yet  in  honor  or  gain,  if  he 
aspires  to  them,  but  from  fear  for  the  loss  of  fame  on 
account  of  them.  It  is  said  that  that  fear  invades  the 
external  of  thought,  and  closes  the  internal  from  above 
for  influx  from  heaven  :  this  is  said  to  be  closed  when 
it  altogether  makes  one  with  the  external ;  for  then  it 
is  not  in  itself,  but  in  the  external.  But  because  the 
loves  of  self  and  of  the  world  are  infernal  loves,  and 
the  fountain-heads  of  all  evils,  it  is  manifest  what  the 
internal  of  thought  is  in  itself  with  those  with  whom 
those  loves  are  the  life's  loves,  or  with  whom  they 
govern  ;  namely,  that  it  is  full  of  the  concupiscenes  of 
evils  of  every  kind.  Those  do  not  know  this,  who 
from  fear  of  the  loss  of  dignity  and  opulence  are  in  a 
strong  persuasion  concerning  the  religion  in  which 
they  are,  especially  in  a  religion  which  involves  that 
they  should  be  worshipped  as  divinities,  and  at  the 
same  time  as  plutos  in  hell :  these  can  burn  as  with 
zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  yet  this  from  infer- 
nal fire.  Because  this  fear  especially  takes  away 
rationality  itself  and  liberty  itself,  which  are  heavenly 
from  origin,  it  is  manifest  that  it  stands  in  the  Avay 
that  man  cannot  be  reformed. 

140.  That  no  one  is  reformed  in  a  State  of  Mis- 
fortune, if  then  only  he  thinks  concerning  God  and 
implores  help,  is  because  the  state  is  compelled ; 
wherefore,  when  he  comes  into  a  free  state,  he  returns 
into  the  former  state,  in  which  he  had  thought  little 
if  any  concerning  God  :  it  is  otherwise  with  those  who 
in  the  free  state  before  feared  God.  By  fearing  God 
is  imderstood  fearing  to  offend  Him,  and  to  offend 
Him  is  to  sin  :  and  this  is  not  of  fear,  but  it  is  of  love  : 
who  that  loves  any  one,  does  not  fear  to  do  evil  to  him  7 
and  the  more  he  loves,  the  more  he  fears  this :  with- 
out this  fear  love  is  insipid  and  cutaneous,  of  thought 
only,  and  of  no  will.  By  states  of  misfortune  are 
understood  states  of  desperation  from   perils,  as  in 


130  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

battles,  duels,  shipwrecks,  falls,  fires,  imminent  or  im- 
expected  loss  of  wealth,  also  of  income  and  hence  of 
honor,  and  in  other  like  things :  to  think  concerning 
God  in  these  alone,  is  not  from  God,  bat  from  one's 
self;  for  the  mind  is  then  imprisoned  as  it  were  in  the 
body,  thus  not  in  liberty,  and  hence  neither  in  ration- 
ality; without  which  reformation  is  not  given. 

141.  That  no  one  is  reformed  in  a  State  of  Disor- 
der OF  Mind  [a?iim7fs],  is  because  disorder  of  mind 
[a7iimiis]  takes  away  rationality,  and  hence  the  free- 
dom of  acting  according  to  reason ;  for  the  mind  is 
disordered  and  not  sound,  and  the  sound  mind  is 
rational,  but  not  the  disordered  mind.  Such  disorders 
are  melancholies,  spurious  and  false  consciences,  fan- 
tasies of  various  kinds,  griefs  of  mind  [cminms]  from 
misfortunes,  anxieties  and  anguishes  of  mind  from 
defect  of  the  body;  which  things  are  sometimes  re- 
garded as  temptations,  but  are  not;  because  genuine 
temptations  have  spiritual  things  for  their  objects,  and 
in  these  the  mind  is  sane;  but  those  have  natural 
things  for  their  objects,  and  in  these  the  mind  is 
insane. 

142.  That  no  one  is  reformed  in  a  State  of  Disease 
OF  THE  Body,  is  because  reason  is  not  then  in  a  free 
state,  for  the  state  of  the  mind  depends  on  the  state  of 
the  body :  when  the  body  is  sick,  the  mind  is  also 
sick;  if  from  nothing  else,  still  from  removal  from  the 
world ;  for  a  mind  removed  from  the  world  thinks 
indeed  concerning  God,  but  not  from  God,  for  it  is  not 
in  freedom  of  reason  :  man  has  freedom  of  reason  from 
this,  that  he  is  in  the  midst  between  heaven  and  the 
world,  and  that  he  can  think  from  heaven  and  from 
the  world,  also  from  heaven  concerning  the  world, 
and  from  the  world  concerning  heaven  :  when  there- 
fore man  is  in  disease,  and  thinks  concerning  death, 
and  concerning  the  state  of  his  soul  after  death,  then 
he  is  not  in  the  world,  and  is  abstracted  in  spirit,  in 
which  state  alone  no  one  can  be  reformed ;  but  he 
may  be  confirmed,  if  he  was  reformed  before  he  fell 
into  disease.     It  is  the  like  with  those  who  renounce 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  131 

the  world  and  all  business  therein,  and  give  them- 
selves only  to  thoughts  concerning  God,  heaven  and 
salvation  :  but  concerning  this  thing  more  will  be  said 
elsewhere.  Wherefore  the  same,  if  they  were  not 
reformed  before  disease,  after  it,  if  they  die,  become 
such  as  they  were  before  disease ;  wherefore  it  is  vain 
to  think  that  any  can  repent,  or  receive  any  faith,  in 
diseases ;  for  there  is  nothing  of  action  in  that  repent- 
ance, and  nothing  of  charity  in  that  faith ;  wherefore 
all  is  of  the  mouth  and  nothing  of  the  heart  in  both. 

143.  That  no  one  is  reformed  in  a  State  of  Igno- 
rance, is  because  all  reformation  is  made  by  truths 
and  by  a  life  according  to  them ;  wherefore  they  who 
do  not  know  truths,  cannot  be  reformed  :  but  if  they 
desire  them  from  the  affection  of  them,  they  are  re- 
formed in  the  spiritual  world  after  death. 

144.  That  neither  can  any  one  be  reformed  in  a 
State  of  Blindness  of  the  Understanding  :  these  also 
do  not  know  truths,  and  thence  neither  life ;  for  the 
understanding  will  teach  them,  and  the  will  will  do 
them;  and  when  the  will  does  what  the  understanding 
teaches,  then  there  is  made  for  it  a  life  according  to 
truths ;  but  when  the  understanding  is  blinded,  the 
will  also  is  shut  up,  and  does  not  from  freedom  accord- 
ing to  its  reason  do  anything  else  but  evil  confirmed 
in  the  understanding,  which  is  falsity.  Besides  igno- 
rance, the  religion  which  teaches  a  blind  faith  also 
blinds  the  understanding:  also  the  doctrine  of  falsity; 
for  as  truths  open  the  understanding,  so  falsities  close 
it  up;  they  close  it  up  above,  but  open  it  below;  and 
the  understanding  open  only  below  cannot  see  truths, 
but  only  confirm  whatever  it  wishes,  especially  falsity. 
The  understanding  is  also  blinded  by  the  cupidities  of 
evil;  as  long  as  the  will  is  in  them,  it  actuates  the 
understanding  to  confirming  them :  and  as  far  as  the 
cupidities  of  evil  are  confirmed,  so  far  the  will  cannot 
be  in  the  affections  of  good,  and  from  them  see  truths, 
and  so  be  reformed.  As  for  example,  he  who  is  in 
the  cupidity  of  adultery,  his  will,  which  is  in  the 
delight  of  his  love,  actuates  the  understanding  to  con- 


132  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

firming  it,  saying,  What  is  adultery  ?  is  there  any  evil 
in  it  7  is  there  not  the  like  between  a  husband  and  his 
wife?  cannot  offspring  equally  be  born  from  adultery  7 
cannot  a  woman  admit  several  without  harm  7  what 
has  that  which  is  spiritual  in  common  with  this  7  thus 
thinks  the  understanding,  which  is  then  the  harlot  of 
the  will,  and  becomes  so  stupid  from  whoredom  with 
the  will,  that  it  cannot  see  that  conjugial  love  is  spir- 
itual-celestial love  itself,  which  is  the  image  of  the 
love  of  the  Lord  and  the  church,  from  which  it  is  also 
derived;  and  thus  that  in  itself  it  is  holy,  chastity 
itself,  purity  and  innocence;  and  that  it  makes  men 
loves  in  form ;  for  consorts  can  love  each  other  from 
things  inmost,  and  so  form  themselves  into  loves :  and 
that  adultery  destroys  this  form,  and  with  it  the  image 
of  the  Lord;  and  that  it  is  horrible  that  an  adulterer 
should  mix  his  life  with  the  life  of  a  husband  in  his 
wife ;  in  the  seed  is  the  life  of  man  :  and  because  this 
is  profane,  therefore  hell  is  called  adultery,  and  heaven, 
on  the  contrary,  is  called  marriage:  the  love  of  adul- 
tery also  communicates  with  the  lowest  hell,  but  love 
truly  conjugial  with  the  inmost  heaven;  the  members 
of  generation  of  each  sex  also  correspond  to  the  socie- 
ties of  the  inmost  heaven.  These  things  are  adduced, 
that  it  may  be  known  how  the  understanding  is 
blinded  when  the  will  is  in  the  cupidity  of  evil ;  and 
that  in  a  state  of  blindness  of  the  understanding  no 
one  can  be  reformed. 

145.  y.  Tlint  it  is  not  coji/rmy  to  rationality  and 
liberty  to  compd  one's  self.  It  has  before  been  shown, 
that  man  has  an  internal  of  thought  and  an  external 
of  thought ;  and  that  they  are  distinct  as  prior  and 
posterior,  or  as  superior  and  inferior ;  and  that,  be- 
cause they  are  thus  distinct,  they  can  act  separately, 
and  can  act  conjointly :  they  act  separately,  when 
man  speaks  and  does  from  the  external  of  his  thought 
otherwise  than  he  thinks  and  wills  interiorly ;  and 
they  act  conjointly,  when  he  speaks  and  does  what 
he  thinks  and  wills  interiorly:  the  latter  is  common 
with  the  sincere,  but  the  former  with  the  insincere. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  133 

Now  because  the  internal  and  the  external  of  the 
mind  are  so  distinct,  the  internal  can  also  fight  with 
the  external,  and  by  combat  compel  it  to  a  consent : 
combat  exists,  when  man  thinks  evils  to  be  sins  and 
therefore  wishes  to  desist  from  them ;  for  when  he 
desists,  the  door  is  opened  ;  which  being  opened,  the 
concupiscences  of  evil  are  cast  out  by  the  Lord,  which 
blocked  up  the  internal  of  thought,  and  in  their  place 
are  implanted  the  affections  of  good;  this  is  in  the 
internal  of  thought  :  but  because  the  delights  of  the 
concupiscences  of  evil,  which  block  up  the  external 
of  thought,  cannot  be  cast  out  at  the  same  time,  there- 
fore combat  exists  between  the  internal  and  the  exter- 
nal of  thought :  the  internal  wishes  to  cast  out  those 
delights,  because  they  are  delights  of  evil,  and  are  not 
concordant  with  the  affections  of  good,  in  which  the 
internal  now  is ;  and  in  place  of  the  delights  of  evil 
to  introduce  the  delights  of  good,  which  are  concord- 
ant: the  delights  of  good  are  what  are  called  the 
goods  of  charity.  From  this  contrariety  arises  com- 
bat ;  which,  if  it  becomes  severe,  is  called  temptation. 
Now  because  man  is  man  from  the  internal  of  his 
thought,  for  this  is  the  very  spirit  of  man,  it  is  evident 
that  man  compels  himself,  when  he  compels  the  ex- 
ternal of  his  thought  to  a  consent,  or  to  receiving  the 
delights  of  his  affections,  which  are  the  goods  of  char- 
ity. That  this  is  not  contrary  to  rationality  and 
liberty,  but  according  to  them,  is  manifest;  for  ration- 
ality causes  that  combat,  and  liberty  executes  it : 
liberty  itself  also  resides  with  rationality  in  the  inter- 
nal man,  and  from  this  in  the  external.  When  there- 
fore the  internal  conquers,  which  takes  place  when 
the  internal  has  reduced  the  external  to  consent  and 
compliance,  then  there  is  given  to  man  by  the  Lord 
liberty  itself  and  rationality  itself;  for  then  man  is 
taken  away  by  the  Lord  from  infernal  freedom,  which 
in  itself  is  slavery,  and  is  brought  into  heavenly  free- 
dom, which  in  itself  is  freedom  itself;  and  there  is 
given  to  him  consociation  with  the  angels.  That  they 
are  slaves  who  are  in  sins,  and  that  the  Lord  makes 
12 


134  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

those  free  who  receive  truth  from  Him  through  the 
Word,  He  teaches  in  John,  viii.  31  to  36. 

146.  Take  an  example  for  ilhistration :  The  man 
who  has  taken  dehght  in  defraudings  and  clandestine 
thefts,  and  sees  and  interiorly  acknowledges  that  they 
are  sins,  and  on  that  account  wishes  to  desist  from 
them  :  when  he  does  desist,  there  arises  combat  of  the 
internal  man  with  the  external :  the  internal  man  is 
in  the  affection  of  sincerity,  but  the  external  still  in  the 
delight  of  defrauding;  which  delight,  because  it  is 
altogether  opposite  to  the  delight  of  sincerity,  does 
not  recede,  unless  it  is  compelled,  nor  can  it  be  com- 
pelled except  by  combat ;  and  then,  when  he  conquers, 
the  external  man  comes  into  the  delight  of  the  love 
of  sincerity,  which  is  charity :  afterwards  the  delight 
of  defrauding  successively  becomes  unpleasant  to 
him.  It  is  the  like  with  other  sins,  as  with  adulteries 
and  whoredoms,  revenges  and  hatreds,  blasphemings 
and  lies.  But  the  most  difficult  combat  of  all  is  with 
the  love  of  ruling  from  the  love  of  self:  he  who  sub- 
jugates this,  easily  subjugates  the  rest  of  the  evil 
loves  ;  because  it  is  their  head. 

147.  It  shall  also  be  stated  in  a  few  words  how 
the  Lord  casts  out  the  concupiscences  of  evil,  which 
besiege  the  internal  man  from  birth,  and  in  place  of 
them  implants  the  affections  of  good,  when  man  re- 
moves evils  as  sins  as  of  himself:  it  has  been  before 
shown,  that  man  has  a  natural  mind,  a  spiritual  mind, 
and  a  celestial  mind:  and  that  man  is  in  the  natural 
mind  alone,  as  long  as  he  is  in  the  concupiscences 
of  evil  and  in  their  delights ;  and  that  so  long  the 
spiritual  mind  is  closed :  but  as  soon  as  man,  after 
exploration,  acknowledges  evils  as  sins  against  God, 
because  against  the  divine  laws,  and  therefore  wishes 
to  desist  from  them ;  then  the  Lord  opens  the  spiritual 
mind,  and  enters  into  the  natural  by  the  affections  of 
good  and  truth,  and  enters  into  the  rational,  and  from 
it  disposes  those  things  in  order  which  in  the  natural 
man  below  are  contrary  to  order:  this  is  what  ap- 
pears to  man  as  combat,  and  with  those  who  have 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  135 

much  indulged  in  the  delights  of  evil,  as  temptation  ; 
for  grief  of  the  mind  [miinms]  takes  place,  when  the 
order  of  its  thoughts  is  inverted.  Now  because  there 
is  combat  against  the  things  which  are  in  man  him- 
self, and  which  man  feels  as  his,  and  no  one  can 
fight  against  himself  unless  from  an  interior  self,  nor 
unless  from  freedom  there,  it  follows  that  the  internal 
man  then  fights  against  the  external,  and  that  from 
freedom,  and  that  it  compels  the  external  to  obedi- 
ence; this  therefore  is  to  compel  one's  self:  that  this 
is  not  contrary  to  liberty  and  rationality,  but  according 
to  them,  is  manifest. 

148.  Moreover,  every  man  wishes  to  be  free,  and 
to  remove  non-freedom  or  slavery  from  himself:  every 
boy  who  is  under  a  master  wishes  to  be  at  his  own 
direction  and  thus  free  :  every  servant  under  his  lord, 
and  maid  under  her  mistress,  in  like  manner':  every 
virgin  wishes  to  go  from  the  liouse  of  lier  father  and 
be  married,  that  she  may  act  freely  in  her  own  house  : 
every  youth,  who  wishes  to  work,  or  do  business,  or 
discharge  some  office,  while  he  is  in  servitude  under 
others,  wishes  to  be  emancipated,  that  he  may  be  at 
his  own  disposal :  all  those  who  serve  of  their  own 
accord  for  the  sake  of  liberty,  compel  themselves ; 
and  since  they  compel  themselves,  they  act  from  free- 
dom according  to  reason ;  but  from  interior  freedom, 
from  which  exterior  freedom  is  looked  upon  as  a 
servant.  This  is  adduced,  for  confirming  that  it  is 
not  contrary  to  rationality  and  liberty  to  compel  one's 
self. 

149.  One  reason  why  man  does  not  in  like  manner 
wish  to  come  out  of  spiritual  servitude  into  spiritual 
liberty,  is,  that  he  does  not  know  what  spiritual 
slavery  is,  and  what  spiritual  freedom  :  he  has  not 
the  truths  which  teach  it;  and  without  truths,  it  is 
believed  that  spiritual  slavery  is  freedom,  and  spiritual 
freedom  slavery.  Another  reason  is,  because  the  re- 
ligion of  the  christian  world  has  shut  the  understand- 
ing, and  faith  alone  has  sealed  it  up ;  for  each  has 
placed  as  an  iron  wall  around  itself  the  dogma  that 


136  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

theological  matters  are  beyond  reach  ;  and  that  there- 
fore they  cannot  be  come  at  by  any  rationality ;  and 
that  they  are  for  the  blind,  and  not  for  those  that  see : 
by  this  the  truths  have  been  hidden,  which  would 
teach  what  spiritual  liberty  is.  A  third  reason  is, 
because  few  explore  themselves,  and  see  their  sins ; 
and  he  who  does  not  see  them,  and  desist  from  them, 
is  in  the  freedom  of  them,  which  is  infernal  freedom, 
in  itself  slavery  ;  and  from  this  to  see  heavenly  free- 
dom, which  is  freedom  itself,  is  like  seeing  day  in 
thick  darkness,  and  under  a  black  cloud  that  which 
is  from  the  sun  above.  Hence  it  is,  that  it  is  not 
known  what  heavenly  freedom  is,  and  that  the  dif- 
ference between  it  and  infernal  freedom  is  like  the 
difference  between  living  and  dead. 

150.  That  the  external  man  is  to  be  reformed  by  the 
internal^  and  not  the  7'everse.  By  the  internal  and 
external  man  the  same  is  understood  as  by  the  inter- 
nal and  external  of  thought,  which  are  often  spoken 
of  above  :  that  the  external  is  reformed  by  the  internal, 
is  because  the  internal  flows  into  the  external,  and  not 
the  reverse :  that  there  is  given  spiritual  influx  into 
natural,  and  not  the  reverse,  is  known  in  the  learned 
world  ;  and  that  the  internal  man  is  first  to  be  puri- 
fied and  renewed,  and  thus  the  external,  is  known  in 
the  church :  that  it  is  known,  is  because  the  Lord  and 
reason  dictate  it :  the  Lord  teaches  this  in  these  words, 
Woe  to  you,  hypocrites,  because  ye  cleanse  the  exterior 
of  the  cup  and  platter,  but  the  interiors  are  full  of 
rapine  and  intemperance :  Blind  Pharisee,  cleanse 
first  the  interior  of  the  cup  and  platter,  that  the  exterior 
may  also  be  m^ade  clean  :  Matt,  xxiii.  25,  26 :  that 
reason  dictates  it,  was  shown  by  many  things  in  the 
treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wis- 
dom :  for  what  the  Lord  teaches,  he  also  gives  man  to 
perceive  by  reason ;  and  this  in  two  ways :  the  one, 
that  he  sees  in  himself  that  it  is  so,  as  soon  as  he 
hears  it ;  the  other,  that  he  understands  it  by  reasons : 
to  see  in  himself  is  in  his  internal  man,  and  to  under- 
stand by  reasons  is  in  the  external  man  :  who  does 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  IS'f 

not  see  in  himself  when  he  hears  that  the  internal 
man  is  first  to  be  purified,  and  through  it  the  external? 
hut  he  who  does  not  receive  a  general  idea  on  this 
subject  by  influx  from  heaven,  may  stumble  when  he 
consults  the  external  of  his  thought ;  from  this  alone 
no  one  sees  otherwise  than  that  external  works,  which 
are  those  of  charity  and  piety,  without  internal,  save: 
in  like  manner  in  other  things,  as  that  sight  and 
hearing  flow  into  thought,  and  smell  and  taste  into 
perception,  thus  the  external  into  the  internal ;  when 
yet  it  is  the  contrary :  that  the  things  seen  and  heard 
appear  to  flow  into  thought,  is  a  fallacy'- ;  for  the  un- 
derstanding sees  in  the  eye,  and  hears  in  the  ear,  and 
not  the  reverse :  in  like  manner  in  other  things. 

151.  But  something  shall  here  be  said  as  to  how 
the  internal  man  is  reformed,  and  through  it  the  ex- 
ternal. The  internal  man  is  not  reformed  by  knov/ing, 
understanding  and  being  wise  alone;  consequently 
not  by  thinking  alone;  but  by  willing  that  which 
knowledge,  intelligence  and  wisdom  teach :  when 
man  knows,  understands,  and  sees  in  wisdom,  that 
there  are  a  heaven  and  a  hell,  and  that  all  evil  is 
from  hell,  and  all  good  from  heaven  ;  if  he  then  does 
not  will  evil  because  it  is  from  hell,  but  wills  good 
because  it  is  from  heaven,  he  is  then  in  the  first  step 
of  reformation,  and  in  the  threshold  from  hell  to 
heaven  :  when  man  advances  farther,  and  wills  to 
desist  from  evils,  he  is  in  the  second  step  of  reforma- 
tion, and  is  then  out  of  hell,  but  not  yet  in  heaven ; 
this  he  sees  above  himself:  there  must  be  this  inter- 
nal, that  man  may  be  reformed ;  but  unless  each  is 
reformed,  the  external  as  well  as  the  internal,  man  is 
not  reformed  :  the  external  is  reformed  by  the  internal, 
when  the  external  desists  from  evils  which  the  inter- 
nal does  not  will  because  they  are  infernal :  and  still 
more  when  he  therefore  shuns  them,  and  fights 
against  them  :  thus  the  internal  is  to  will,  and  the 
external  is  to  do ;  for  unless  one  does  what  he  wills, 
there  is  within  that  he  does  not  will ;  and  at  length 
non-willing  takes  place.  From  these  few  things  it 
12* 


138  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

may  be  seen  how  the  external  man  is  reformed  by  the 
internal  :  it  is  this  also  which  is  understood  by  the 
words  of  the  Lord  to  Peter  :  Jesus  said,  If  I  wash  thee 
not,  thou  hast  7io  part  with  Me :  Peter  said  unto  Him^ 
Lord,  not  my  feet  only,  hut  also  my  hands  and  Jiead : 
Jesus  said  unto  him.  He  who  is  washed,  hath  not  need, 
except  to  ivash  his  feet,  and  is  wholly  clean :  John  xiii. 
8,  9,  10  ;  by  washing  is  understood  spiritual  washing, 
which  is  purification  from  evils ;  by  washing  the  head 
and  hands  is  understood  to  purify  the  internal  man, 
and  by  washing  the  feet  is  understood  to  piu'ify  the 
external :  that  when  the  internal  man  is  purified,  the 
external  is  to  be  purified,  is  understood  by  this,  He 
who  is  ^cashed  hath  not  need  except  to  wash  his  feet : 
that  all  purification  from  evils  is  from  the  Lord,  is 
understood  by  this,  If  I  wash  thee  not,  thou  hast  no 
part  with  Me.  That  washing  with  the  Jews  repre- 
sented purification  from  evils,  and  that  this  is  signified 
by  washing  in  the  Word,  and  that  by  washing  the 
feet  is  signified  the  purification  of  the  natural  or  ex- 
ternal man,  is  shown  in  many  places  in  the  Heavenly 
Arcana. 

152.  Since  man  has  an  internal  and  an  external,  and 
both  must  be  reformed  that  man  may  be  reformed, 
and  since  no  one  can  be  reformed,  unless  he  explores 
himself,  sees  and  acknowledges  his  evils,  and  after- 
wards desists  from  them,  it  follows  that  not  only  must 
the  external  be  explored,  but  also  the  internal:  if  the 
external  alone  is  explored,  man  sees  nothing  else  than 
what  he  had  actually  committed;  as  that  he  has  not 
killed,  has  not  committed  adultery,  has  not  stolen,  has 
not  testified  falsely,  and  so  on;  thus  he  explores  the 
evils  of  his  body,  and  not  the  evils  of  his  spirit ;  and 
yet,  the  evils  of  the  spirit  must  be  explored,  that  one 
may  be  reformed  ;  for  man  lives  a  spirit  after  death, 
and  all  the  evils  which  are  in  him  remain  ;  and  the 
spirit  is  no  otherwise  explored,  than  as  man  attends 
to  his  thoughts,  especially  to  the  intentions ;  for  the 
intentions  are  thoughts  from  the  will :  there  evils  are 
in  their  origin  and  in  their  root,  that  is,  in  their  con- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  139 

cupiscences  and  in  their  delights  ;  and  unless  they  are 
seen  and  acknowledged,  man  is  still  in  evils,  although 
he  has  not  committed  them  in  externals  :  that  to  think 
from  intention  is  to  will  and  to  do,  is  manifest  from 
the  words  of  the  Lord  :  If  any  one  shall  look  upon 
another^s  ivoman,  so  as  to  lust  after  her,  he  already 
commits  adultery  with  her  in  heart :  Matt.  v.  28  :  such 
is  the  exploration  of  the  internal  man,  from  which  the 
external  man  is  essentially  explored. 

153.  I  have  very  often  wondered,  that,  although 
the  universal  christian  world  knows  that  evils  are  to 
be  shunned  as  sins,  and  that  otherwise  they  are  not 
remitted,  and  that  if  sins  are  not  remitted,  there  is 
no  salvation,  still  scarcely  one  among  thousands 
knows  this  :  this  was  inquired  into  in  the  spiritual 
world,  and  it  Avas  found  so ;  for  every  one  in  the 
christian  world  knows  it  from  the  exhortations  read 
before  those  who  come  to  the  Holy  Supper,  for  it  is 
openly  said  in  them ;  and  yet,  when  they  are  asked 
whether  they  know  this,  they  answer  that  they  do 
not  know,  and  have  not  known  it ;  the  reason  is 
because  they  have  not  thought  concerning  it,  and 
because  most  have  only  thought  concerning  faith,  and 
concerning  salvation  by  it  alone.  And  I  have  also 
wondered  that  faith  alone  has  so  shut  the  eyes,  that 
they  who  have  confirmed  themselves  in  it,  while  they 
read  the  Word,  see  nothing  of  the  things  which  are 
there  said  concerning  love,  charity  and  works  :  it  is 
as  if  they  daubed  faith  over  all  things  of  the  Word,  as 
he  who  daubs  a  writing  with  red  paint,  from  which 
nothing  that  is  beneath  appears;  and  if  anything  does 
appear,  it  is  absorbed  by  faith,  and  is  said  to  be  it. 


THAT  IT  IS  A  LAW  OF  THE  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE,  THAT  MAN 
IS  LED  AND  TAUGHT  BY  THE  LORD  FROM  HEAVEN,  THROUGH 
THE  WORD,  DOCTRINE  AND  PREACHINGS  FROM  IT,  AND 
THIS    IN    ALL    APPEARANCK    AS    OF    HIMSELF. 

154.    It  is  according  to  appearance  that  man  is  led 
and  taught  by  himself,  and  it  is  according  to  truth  that 


140  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

man  is  led  and  taught  by  the  Lord  alone :  they  who 
confirm  the  appearance  with  themselves,  and  not  at 
the  same  time  the  truth,  cannot  remove  from  them- 
selves evils  as  sins ;  but  they  who  confirm  with  them- 
selves the  appearance  and  at  the  same  time  the  truth; 
can ;  for  evils  as  sins  are  removed  in  appearance  by 
man,  and  in  truth  by  the  Lord  :   these  can  be  reformed, 
but  those  cannot.     They  who  confirm   with    them- 
selves the  appearance  and  not  at  the  same  time  the 
truth,  are  all  interior  idolaters;  for  they  are  worship- 
pers of  self  and  the  world  ;  if  they  have  no  religion, 
they  become  worshippers  of  nature,  and  thus  atheists ; 
but  if  they  have  religion,  they  become  worshippers  of 
men,  and  at  the  same  time  of  images;  these  are  they 
that  are  understood  in  the  first  commandment  of  the 
decalogue,  who   worship  other  gods  :    but  they  who 
confirm  with  themselves  the  appearance  and  at  the 
same  time  the  truth,  become  worshippers  of  the  Lord ; 
for  the  Lord  elevates  them  from  their  proprium,  which 
is  in  the  appearance,  and  leads  them  into  the  light,  in 
which  the  truth  is,  and  which  is  the  truth  ;  and  gives 
them  to  perceive  interiorly  that  they  are  not  led  and 
taught  by  themselves,  but  by  the  Lord.     The  rational 
of  the  latter  and  the  former  may  appear  to  m.any  as 
alike,  but  they  are  unlike :  the  rational  of  those  who 
are  in  the  appearance  and  at  the  same  time  in  the 
truth,  is  a  spiritual  rational ;  but  the  rational  of  those 
who  are  in  the  appearance  and  not  at  the  same  time 
in  the  truth,  is  a  natural  rational  ;  but  this  rational 
may  be  compared  to  a  garden  such  as  it  is  in  wintry 
light;  but  the  spiritual  rational  may  be  compared  to 
a  garden  such  as  it  is  in  spring  light.     But  more  con- 
cerning these  things  in  what  follows,  in  this  order.     I. 
That  man  is  led  and  taught  by  the  Lord  alone.     IL 
That  man  is  led  and  taught  by  the  Lord  alone  through 
the  angelic  heaven  and  from  it.     III.  That  man  is  led 
of  the    Lord  by  influx,  and   taught  by  illustration. 
IV.  That  man  is  taught  of  the  Lord  by  the  Word, 
doctrine  and   preachings  from  it,  thus   immediately 
from  Himself  alone.     Y.  That  man  is  led  and  taught 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  141 

of  the  Lord  in  externals  in  all  appearance  as  of  him- 
self 

155.  I.  That  mail  is  led  and  taught  by  the  Lord 
alone.  This  flows  as  a  universal  consequence  from 
all  those  things  which  were  shown  in  the  treatise  con- 
cerning the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  ;  as  well 
from  those  which  were  demonstrated  therein  concern- 
ing the  Divine  Love  of  the  Lord  and  concerning  His 
Divine  Wisdom  in  the  first  part,  as  those  concerning 
the  sun  of  the  spiritual  world  and  concerning  the  sun 
of  the  natural  world  in  part  second ;  also  those  con- 
cerning degrees  in  part  third ;  and  those  concerning 
the  creation  of  the  universe  in  part  fourth ;  as  also 
those  concerning  the  creation  of  man  in  part  fifth. 

156.  That  man  is  led  and  taught  of  the  Lord  alone, 
is  because  he  lives  from  the  Lord  alone;  for  the  will 
of  his  life  is  led,  and  the  understanding  of  his  life  is 
taught :  but  this  is  contrary  to  the  appearance;  for  it 
appears  to  man  as  if  he  lived  from  himself,  and  yet 
the  truth  is,  that  he  lives  from  the  Lord  and  not  from 
himself:  now  because  there  cannot  be  given  to  man, 
as  long  as  he  is  in  the  world,  the  perception  of  sensa- 
tion that  he  lives  from  the  Lord  alone,  since  the  ap- 
pearance that  he  lives  from  himself  is  not  taken  away 
from  him,  for  without  it  man  is  not  man ;  therefore 
this  is  to  be  evinced  by  reasons,  which  must  afterwards 
be  confirmed  by  experience,  and  at  length  by  the 
Word. 

157.  That  man  lives  from  the  I>ord  alone,  and  not 
from  himself,  is  evinced  by  these  reasons :  That  there 
is  an  only  essence,  an  only  substance,  and  an  only 
form,  from  which  are  all  essences,  substances  and 
forms,  which  were  created.  That  that  only  essence, 
substance  and  form,  is  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine 
Wisdom,  from  which  are  all  things  which  have  rela- 
tion to  love  and  wisdom  with  men.  Also,  that  there 
is  good  itself  and  truth  itself,  to  which  all  things  have 
relation.  And  that  they  are  life,  from  which  the  life 
of  all,  and  all  things  of  life,  are.  Also,  that  the  Only 
and  the  Very  is  omnipresent,  omniscient,  and  omnipo- 


142  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

tent.  And  that  this  Only  and  Very  is  the  Lord  from 
eternity,  or  Jehovah.  First:  That  there  is  cm  only  es- 
sence, an  only  substance,  and  an  only  form,  from  which 
are  all  essences,  snhstances  and  forms,  which  were  cre- 
ated. It  was  shown  in  the  treatise  concerning  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  44  to  46,  and  in 
part  second  therein,  that  the  sun  of  the  angehc  heaven, 
which  is  from  the  Lord,  and  in  which  is  the  Lord,  is 
that  only  substance  and  form,  from  which  are  all 
things  which  were  created ;  and  that  nothing  is  given, 
nor  can  be  given,  which  is  not  from  it :  that  all  things 
are  from  it  by  derivations  according  to  degrees,  was 
demonstrated  there  in  part  third.  Who  does  not 
from  reason  perceive  and  acknowledge,  that  there  is 
an  only  essence  from  which  is  all  essence,  or  an  only 
Being  from  which  is  all  being  ?  What  can  exist 
without  being?  and  what  being  is  there  from  which 
is  ail  being,  unless  there  is  Being  itself?  and  what  is 
Being  itself  is  also  the  only  Being,  and  Being  in  itself: 
since  it  is  so,  and  every  one  perceives  and  acknowl- 
edges this  from  reason,  and  if  not,  can  perceive  and 
acknowledge  it,  what  else  then  follows,  than  that  this 
Being,  which  is  the  Divine  itself,  which  is  Jehovah,  is 
the  all  of  all  things  which  are  and  exist  7  It  is  the 
like,  if  it  is  said  that  there  is  an  only  substance,  from 
which  all  things  are ;  and  because  a  substance  with- 
out a  form  is  not  anything,  it  follows  also  that  there 
is  an  only  form,  from  which  all  things  are.  That  the 
sun  of  the  angelic  heaven  is  that  only  substance  and 
form;  also,  how  that  essence,  substance  and  form  is 
varied  in  created  things,  has  been  demonstrated  in  the 
above-named  treatise.  Secondly  :  That  that  only  es- 
sence, snbstance  and  form,  is  the  Divine  Love  and  Di- 
vine Wisdom,  from  which  are  all  things  which  have 
relation  to  love  and  wisdom  with  mayi,  was  also  fully 
shown  in  the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and 
Divine  Wisdom  :  whatever  things  with  man  appear  to 
live,  have  relation  to  the  will  and  understanding  with 
him ;  and  that  these  two  make  his  life,  every  one  per- 
ceives and  acknowledges  from  reason :  what  else  is 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  143 

there  but  1  will  this  or  I  understand  this,  or  I  love 
this  or  I  think  this?  and  because  man  wills  what  he 
loves,  and  thinks  what  he  understands,  therefore  all 
things  of  the  will  have  relation  to  love,  and  all  things 
of  the  understanding  to  wisdom :  and  because  these 
two  cannot  be  given  with  any  one  from  himself,  but 
from  Him  who  is  love  itself  and  wisdom  itself,  it  fol- 
lows that  it  is  from  the  Lord  from  eternity,  or  Jeho- 
vah :  if  it  were  not  from  thence,  man  would  be  love 
itself  and   wisdom   itself,  thus  God  from  eternity,  at 
which  human  reason  itself  shudders.     Can  anything 
be  given,  unless  from  a  prior  to  itself?  and  can  this 
prior  be  given,  unless  from  what  is  still  prior  to  itself, 
and   thus   at  length  from  a  first  which  is  in  itself? 
Thirdly  :    In  like  manner^  that  there  is  good  itself  and 
truth  itself  to  which  all  things  have  relation.     It  is  re- 
ceived and  acknowledged  by  every  one  who  has  rea- 
son, that  God  is  good  itself  and  truth  itself,  also  that 
all  good  and  truth  is  from  Him ;  just  so  too  that  all 
good    and    truth    can    come    from  nowhere  else,  but 
from  good  itself  and  truth  itself;  these  things  are  ac- 
knowledged by  every  rational  man,  as  soon  as  they  are 
heard  :  when  it  is  then  said  that  the  all  of  will  and  un- 
derstanding, or  the  all  of  love  and  wisdom,  or  the  all 
of  aft'ection  and  thought,  with  the  man  who  is  led  by 
the  Lord,  has  relation  to  good  and  truth,  it  follows 
that  all  things  which  that  man  wills  and  understands, 
or  what  he  loves  and  is  wise  in,  or  with  which  he  is 
affected    and    which  he    thinks,   is  from    the    Lord : 
hence  it  is  that  every  one  in  the  church  knows  that 
all  good  and  all  truth  from  man  is  not  good  and  truth 
in  itself,  but  only  that  which  is  from  the  Lord.     Since 
these   things   are  the   truth,   it  follows  that   all    that 
which  such  a  man  wills  and  thinks,  is  from  the  Lord. 
That  every  evil  man  cannot  will  and  think  from  any 
other  origin,  will  be  seen  in  what  follows.     Fourthly  : 
That  they  are  life,  from  ivhicli  the  life  of  all.,  and  all 
things  of  life.,  are.,  was  shown  in  many  places  in  the 
treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom. 
Human  reason  also  receives  and  acknowledges  at  the 


144  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

first  hearing,  that  all  man's  life  is  of  his  will  and  un- 
derstanding ;  for  if  will  and  understanding  are  taken 
away,  he  does  not  live ;  or,  what  is  the  same,  that  all 
man's  life  is  of  his  love  and  thought;  for  if  love  and 
thought  are  taken  away,  he  does  not  live :  now  be- 
cause the  all  of  will  and  understanding,  or  the  all  of 
love  and  thought  with  man,  is  from  the  Lord,  as  was 
now  said  above,  it  follows  that  the  all  of  life  is  from 
Him.     Fifthly  :    That  tins   Only  and   Very  is  omni- 
present^ omniscient^  and  omnipotent:    this  too  every 
christian  acknowledges  from  his  doctrine,  and  every 
heathen    from   his   religion  :    hence    also,  every  one, 
wherever  he  is,  thinks  that  God  is  where  he  is,  and 
prays  to  God  present ;  and  since  every  one  so  thinks 
and  so  prays,  it  follows  that  they  cannot  think  other- 
wise than  that  God  is  everywhere,  thus  omnipresent : 
in  like  manner  that  he  is  omniscient  and  omnipotent ; 
wherefore  everyone  praying  to  God  supplicates  in  his 
heart,  that  He  would  lead  him,  because  He  is  able : 
thus  every  one  then  acknowledges  the  divine  omni- 
presence, omniscience,  and  omnipotence  :  he  acknowl- 
edges, because  he  then  turns  his  face  to  the  Lord,  and 
then  that  truth  flows  in  from  Him.     Sixthly  :    That 
this   Only  and   Very  is  the  L,ord  from  eternity,  or  Je- 
hovah.    It  has  been  shown  in  the  Doctrine  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  concerning   the    Lord,   that   God    is 
one  in  essence  and  in  person,  and  that  that  God  is  the 
Lord  ;  and  that  the  Divine  itself,  which  is  called  Je- 
hovah the  Father,  is  the  Lord  from  eternity  ;  that  the 
Divine  Human  is  the  Son  conceived  from  his  Divine 
from  eternity,  and  born  in  the  world  ;  and  that  the 
proceeding    Divine    is    the    Holy    Spirit.     It    is    said 
the  Very  and  the  Only,  because  it  was  before   said, 
that  the  Lord  from  eternity,  or  Jehovah,  is  life  itself, 
because  He  is  love  itself  and  wisdom  itself,  or  good 
itself  and  truth  itself,  from  which  are  all  things.     That 
the  Lord  created  all  things  from  Himself,  and  not  from 
nothing,  may  be  seen   in  the  treatise  concerning  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,   n.  282  to  284,   n. 
349  to  357.     From  these  things  this  truth,  that  man 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  145 

is  led  and  taught  by  the  Lord  alone,  is  confirmed  by 
reasons. 

158.  This  same  truth  is  confirmed  with  the  angels, 
not  only  by  reasons,  but  also  by  living  perceptions, 
especially  with  the  angels  of  the  third  heaven  :  these 
perceive  the  influx  of  the  divine  love  and  divine  wis- 
dom from  the  Lord  ;  and  because  they  perceive  this, 
and  know  from  their  wisdom  that  these  are  life,  there- 
fore they  say  that  they  live  from  the  Lord,  and  not 
from  themselves  ;  and  they  not  only  say  this,  but  also 
love  and  will  that  it  should  be  so :  and  yet  they  are 
still  in  all  appearance  as  if  they  lived  from  them- 
selves ;  yea,  in  a  stronger  appearance  than  other 
angels  ;  as  it  was  shown  above,  n.  42  to  45,  Tliat  the 
inore  nearly  any  one  is  conjoined  to  the  Lord^  the  more 
distinctly  he  appears  to  himself  as  if  he  were  his  own, 
and  the  more  evidently  he  notices  that  he  is  the  Lord^s. 
To  be  in  a  like  perception  and  appearance  at  the  same 
time,  has  also  been  given  to  me  now  for  many  years; 
from  which  I  am  fully  convinced,  that  I  will  and 
think  nothing  from  myself;  but  that  it  appears  as 
from  myself:  and  it  has  also  been  given  to  will  and 
love  it.  This  same  may  be  confirmed  by  many  other 
things  from  the  spiritual  world,  but  these  two  will  suf- 
fice for  the  time. 

159.  That  the  Lord  alone  has  life,  is  manifest  from 
these  places  in  the  Word :  /  am  the  resurrection  and 
the  life  ;  he  that  believeth  on  ilfe,  cdtltovgh  he  die,  shall 
live:  John  xi.  25.  lam  tJie  ivay^  and  the  triith^  and 
the  life :  John  xiv.  6.  God  was  the  Word :  in  Him 
was  lifo^  and  the  life  loas  the  light  of  men :  John  i.  1, 
4,  The  Word  there  is  the  Lord.  As  the  Father  hath 
life  in  Himself  so  hcdh  He  given  to  the  ^on  to  have  life 
in  Himself:  John  v.  26.  That  man  is  led  and  taught 
by  the  Lord  alone,  is  manifest  from  these  passages  : 
Without  Me  ye  cannot  do  anything :  John  xv.  5.  A 
Tnan  cannot  take  anything^  unless  it  be  given  to  him, 
from  Heaven :  John  iii.  27.  A  man  cannot  make  one 
hair  ivhite  or  black :  Matt.  v.  36 :  by  a  hair  in  the 
Word  is  signified  the  least  of  all  things.  i 

13 


146  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

160.  That  the  life  of  the  evil  is  also  from  the  same 
origin,  will  be  demonstrated  in  its  proper  article  in 
what  follows  :  here  it  will  only  be  illustrated  by  com- 
parison. From  the  sun  of  the  world  flows  both  heat 
and  light ;  and  it  flows  in  like  manner  into  trees 
which  bear  bad  fruits,  as  into  trees  which  bear  good 
fruits  ;  and  they  vegetate  and  grow  in  like  manner : 
the  forms,  into  which  the  heat  flows,  make  this  diver- 
sity ;  but  not  the  heat  in  itself.  It  is  the  like  with 
light :  this  is  variegated  into  colors,  according  to  the 
forms  into  which  it  flows :  there  are  colors  beautiful 
and  cheerful,  and  there  are  colors  unbeautiful  and 
sad;  and  still  the  hght  is  the  same.  It  is  the  hke 
with  the  influx  of  spiritual  heat,  which  in  itself  is 
love,  and  spiritual  light,  which  in  itself  is  wisdom, 
from  the  sun  of  the  spiritual  world  :  the  forms  into 
which  it  flows  make  diversity  ;  but  not  that  heat 
which  is  love,  and  that  light  which  is  wisdom,  in 
themselves  :  the  forms  into  which  they  flow  are  hu- 
man minds.  From  these  things  it  is  now  manifest, 
that  man  is  led  and  taught  by  the  Lord  alone. 

161.  But  what  the  life  of  animals  is,  was  shown 
above;  namely,  that  it  is  the  life  of  affection  merely 
natural  with  its  mate  science  ;  and  that  it  is  a  medi- 
ate life  corresponding  to  the  life  of  those  who  are  in 
the  spiritual  world. 

162.  II.  That  man  is  led  and  taught  by  the  Lord 
alone  through  the  angelic  heaven  and  from  it.  It  is 
said  that  man  is  led  by  the  Lord  through  the  angelic 
heaven,  and  from  it ;  but  that  it  is  through  the  angelic 
heaven,  is  from  appearance ;  yet,  that  it  is  from  that 
heaven,  is  from  the  truth  :  that  the  appearance  is  that  it 
is  through  the  angelic  heaven,  is  because  the  Lord  ap- 
pears above  that  heaven  as  a  sun:  that  the  truth  is,  that 
it  is  from  that  heaven,  is  because  the  Lord  is  in  that  hea- 
ven, as  the  soul  in  man :  for  the  Lord  is  omnipresent, 
and  is  not  in  space,  as  has  been  before  shown  ;  where- 
fore distance  is  an  appearance  according  to  conjunction 
with  Him,  and  conjunction  is  according  to  the  recep- 
tion of  love  and  wisdom  from  Him  :  and  because  no 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  147 

one  can  be  conjoined  to  tlie  Lord,  as  He  is  in  Himself, 
thei'efore  He  appears  to  the  angels  at  a  distance  as  a 
sun  :  but  still  He  is  in  the  universal  angelic  heaven, 
as  the  soul  in  man ;  and  in  like  manner  in  every 
society  of  heaven,  and  in  like  manner  in  every  angel 
there  ;  for  the  soul  of  man  is  not  only  the  soul  of  the 
■»vliole,  but  also  of  every  part.  But  because  it  is  ac- 
cording to  appearance  that  the  Lord  governs  the  univer- 
sal heaven,  and  through  this  the  world,  from  the  sun 
which  is  from  Him,  and  where  He  is  ;  concerning 
which  sun  may  be  seen  the  treatise  concerning  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  in  part  second  ;  and 
because  it  is  permitted  every  man  to  speak  according 
to  appearance,  nor  can  he  do  otherwise ;  therefore  also 
it  is  permitted  to  every  one,  who  is  not  in  wisdom 
itself,  to  think  that  the  Lord  governs  things  all  and 
each  from  His  sun ;  and  also  that  He  governs  the 
world  through  the  angelic  heaven  :  according  to  such 
appearance  also  the  angels  of  the  lower  heavens  think  ; 
but  the  angels  of  the  higher  heavens  speak  indeed 
according  to  appearance,  but  think  according  to  the 
truth ;  which  is,  that  the  Lord  governs  the  universe 
from  the  angelic  heaven,  which  is  from  Himself, 
That  the  simple  and  the  wise  speak  alike,  but  do  not 
think  alike,  may  be  illustrated  from  the  sun  of  the 
world  :  all  speak  concerning  it  from  appearance,  as 
that  it  rises  and  sets ;  yet  the  wise,  although  they 
speak  in  like  manner,  still  think  that  it  stands  un- 
moved :  the  latter  also  is  the  truth,  and  the  former  is 
the  appearance.  The  same  may  also  be  illustrated 
from  appearances  in  the  spiritual  world  ;  for  there 
appear  there  spaces  and  distances  as  in  the  natural 
world  ;  but  still  they  are  appearances  according  to  dis- 
similarities of  affections  and  thence  of  thoughts.  It  is 
the  like  with  the  appearance  of  the  Lord  in  His 
sun. 

163.  But  how  the  Lord  leads  and  teaches  every 
man  from  the  angelic  heaven,  shall  be  said  in  few 
words.  In  the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love 
AND  Divine  Wisdom,  and  above  in  this  treatise  concern- 


148  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

ing  the  Divine  Providence  ;  also  in  the  work  concern-' 
ing  Heaven  and  Hell,  pubHshed  in  London  i^i  the 
year  1758,  it  has  been  made  known  from  things  heard 
and  seen,  that  the  universal  angelic  heaven  appears 
before  the  Lord  as  one  man ;  and  that  each  society  in 
heaven  does  in  like  manner ;  and  that  it  is  thence  that 
every  angel  and  spirit  is  in  perfect  form  a  man ;  and 
it  was  also  shown,  in  the  aforesaid  treatises,  that 
heaven  is  not  heaven  from  the  propriuin  of  the  angels, 
but  from  the  reception  by  the  angels  of  divine  love 
and  divine  wisdom  from  the  Lord :  hence  it  may  be 
evident  that  the  Lord  governs  the  universal  angelic 
heaven  as  one  man  ;  and  that  that  heaven,  because  it 
is  in  itself  a  man,  is  the  very  image  and  the  very  like- 
ness of  the  Lord;  and  that  the  Lord  Himself  governs 
that  heaven,  as  the  soul  governs  its  body.  And, 
because  the  universal  human  race  is  governed  by  the 
Lord,  that  it  is  not  governed  through  heaven,  but  from 
heaven  by  the  Lord,  consequently  from  Himself,  be- 
cause He  is  heaven,  as  has  been  said. 

164.  But  because  this  is  an  arcanum  of  angelic  wis- 
dom, it  cannot  be  comprehended  by  man,  unless  his 
spiritual  mind  is  opened;  for  this,  from  conjunction 
with  the  Lord,  is  an  angel :  by  this  man,  from  the 
things  premised,  the  following  can  be  comprehended. 
1.  That  all,  as  well  men  as  angels,  are  in  the  Lord 
and  the  Lord  in  them,  according  to  conjunction  with 
Him;  or,  what  is  the  same,  according  to  reception  of 
love  and  wisdom  from  Him.  2.  That  each  one  of 
these  is  allotted  a  place  in  the  Lord,  thus  in  heaven, 
according  to  the  quality  of  conjunction,  or  of  the 
reception  of  Him.  3.  That  each  one  in  his  place  has 
his  state  distinct  from  the  state  of  others ;  and  that 
from  the  common  stock  he  draws  his  task  according 
to  his  situation,  his  function,  and  his  necessity,  alto- 
gether like  each  thing  in  the  human  body.  4.  That 
every  man  is  initiated  into  his  place  by  the  Lord 
according  to  his  life.  5.  That  every  man  from 
infancy  is  brought  into  that  Divine  Man,  whose 
soul  and   life  is   the   Lord ;    and  that   he  is  led  and 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  149 

taught  from  His  Divine  Love  according  to  His  Divine 
Wisdom,  in  Him  and  not  out  of  Him.  But  that, 
because  the  freedom  of  man  is  not  taken  away,  man 
cannot  be  otherwise  led  and  taught,  than  according  to 
reception  as  of  himself  6.  That  they  who  receive, 
are  carried  through  infinite  windings,  as  through 
meanderings,  to  their  places ;  nearly  as  the  chyle 
through  the  mesentery  and  lacteal  vessels  there  into 
the  cisterna,  and  from  this  through  the  thoracic  duct 
into  the  blood,  and  thus  into  its  seat.  7.  That  they 
who  do  not  receive,  are  secreted  from  those  who  are 
within  the  Divine  Man,  as  excrement  and  urine  are 
secreted  from  man.  These  are  arcana  of  angelic 
wisdom,  which  may  be  somewhat  comprehended  by 
man ;  but  there  are  very  many  more  which  cannot. 

165.  III.  That  man  is  led  of  the  L,ord  by  influx, 
and  taught  by  illustration.  That  man  is  led  of  the 
Lord  by  influx,  is  because  to  be  led  and  also  to  flow 
in  are  said  of  love  and  of  the  will ;  and  that  man  is 
taught  of  the  Lord  by  illustration,  is  because  to  be 
taught  and  to  be  illustrated  are  properly  said  of  wis- 
dom and  the  understanding :  that  every  man  is  led  of 
his  love  by  himself,  and  according  to  it  by  others,  and 
not  from  the  understanding,  is  known  :  he  is  led  by 
the  understanding  and  according  to  it,  only  when  love 
or  the  will  makes  it ;  and  when  this  takes  place,  it 
may  also  be  said  of  the  understanding,  that  it  is  led ; 
but  still,  the  understanding  is  not  then  led,  but  the 
will  from  which  it  is.  It  is  called  influx,  because  it  is 
a  received  custom  to  say,  that  the  soul  flows  into  the 
body,  and  that  influx  is  spiritual  and  not  physical ; 
and  the  soul  or  life  of  man  is  his  love  or  will,  as  has 
been  before  shown  :  also,  because  influx  is  compara- 
tively as  is  the  influx  of  the  blood  into  the  heart,  and 
from  the  heart  into  the  lungs  :  that  there  is  a  corres- 
pondence of  the  heart  with  the  will,  and  of  the  lungs 
with  the  understanding  ;  and  that  the  conjunction  of 
the  will  with  the  understanding  is  as  the  influx  of  the 
blood  from  the  heart  into  the  lungs,  was  shown  in  the 
13^ 


150  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wis- 
dom, 11.  371  to  432. 

166.  But  that  man  is  taught  by  ilhistration,  is 
because  to  be  taught  and  also  to  be  ilkistrated  are 
said  of  the  understanding;  for  the  understanding, 
which  is  the  internal  sight  of  man,  is  no  otherwise 
illustrated  by  spiritual  light,  than  as  the  eye  or  exter- 
nal sight  of  man  by  natural  light :  both  are  also 
taught  alike  ;  but  the  internal  sight,  which  is  that  of 
the  understanding,  by  spiritual  objects,  and  the  exter- 
nal sight,  which  is  that  of  the  eye,  by  natural  objects. 
There  is  spiritual  light  and  natural  light ;  both,  as  to 
external  appearance,  alike  ;  but  as  to  internal,  unlike ; 
for  natural  light  is  from  the  sun  of  the  natural  world, 
and  hence  in  itself  dead  ;  but  spiritual  light  is  from 
the  sun  of  the  spiritual  world,  and  hence  in  itself  liv- 
ing;, this  light  illustrates  the  human  understanding, 
and  not  natural  light :  natural  and  rational  lumine  is 
not  from  the  latter  light,  but  from  the  former;  it  is 
called  natural  and  rational  lumine,  because  it  is  spirit- 
ual-natural; for  there  are  three  degrees  of  light  in  the 
spiritual  world,  celestial  light,  spiritual  light,  and 
spiritual-natural  light :  celestial  light  is  a  flamy  bright- 
red  light ;  this  light  have  those  who  are  in  the  third 
heaven :  spiritual  light  is  a  white  shining  light ;  this 
light  have  those  who  are  in  the  middle  heaven  :  and 
spiritual-natural  light  is  such  as  is  the  light  by  day  in 
our  world;  this  light  have  those  who  are  in  the  ulti- 
mate heaven,  and  also  those  who  are  in  the  world  of 
spirits,  which  is  in  the  midst  between  heaven  and 
hell :  but  this  light  m  this  world  is  with  the  good  as 
the  light  of  summer,  and  with  the  evil  as  the  light  of 
winter  on  earth.  But  it  is  to  be  known,  that  all  light 
of  the  spiritual  world  has  nothing  in  common  with  the 
light  of  the  natural  world:  ihey  differ  as  living  and 
dead.  From  which  things  it  is  manifest,  that  natural 
light,  such  as  is  before  our  eyes,  does  not  illustrate  the 
understanding,  but  spiritual  light.  Man  knows  not 
this,  because  he  has  known  nothing  hitherto  concern- 
ing spiritual  light.     That  spiritual  light  is  in  its  origin 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  151 

Divine  Wisdom  or  Divine  Truth,  has  been  shown  in 
the  work  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  n.  126  to  140. 
167.  Since  the  hght  of  heaven  has  now  been  spoken 
of,  something  is  also  to  be  said  concerning  the  light  of 
hell :  light  in  hell  is  also  of  three  degrees ;  the  light  in 
the  lowest  hell  is  as  the  light  from  ignited  coals  ;  the 
light  in  the  middle  hell  is  as  the  light  from  a  fire- 
hearth  flame ;  and  the  light  in  the  highest  hell  is  as 
the  light  from  candles,  and  to  some  as  the  light  by 
night  from  the  moon.  Neither  are  these  lights  natu- 
ral, but  they  are  spiritual;  for  all  natural  light  is 
dead,  and  extinguishes  the  understanding;  and  they 
who  are  in  hell  have  the  faculty  of  understanding, 
which  is  called  rationality,  as  has  been  shown  before  ; 
and  rationality  itself  is  from  spiritual  light,  and  not  in 
the  least  from  natural  light;  and  the  spiritual  light, 
which  they  have  from  rationality,  is  turned  into«nfer- 
nal  light,  as  the  light  of  day  into  the  darkness  of 
night.  But  still,  all  who  are  in  the  spiritual  world,  as 
well  they  who  are  in  the  heavens  as  they  who  are  in 
the  hells,  see  as  clearly  in  their  light  as  man  sees  in 
the  daytime  in  his:  the  reason  is,  because  the  eye- 
sight of  all  is  formed  to  the  reception  of  the  light  in 
which  it  is;  thus,  the  eye-sight  of  the  angels  of 
heaven  is  for  the  reception  of  the  light  in  which  it  is; 
and  the  eye-sight  of  the  spirits  of  hell,  for  the  recep- 
tion of  their  light,  is  comparatively  as  with  owls  and 
bats,  which  see  objects  as  clearly  by  night,  in  the  eve- 
ning, as  the  rest  of  the  birds  see  them  by  day;  for 
their  eyes  are  formed  to  the  reception  of  their  light. 
But  the  difference  between  those  lights  appears  per- 
spicuously to  those  who  look  from  one  light  into  the 
other ;  as  when  an  angel  of  heaven  looks  into  hell,  he 
sees  nothing  but  mere  thick  darkness  there ;  and  when 
a  spirit  of  hell  looks  into  heaven,  he  sees  nothing  but 
thick  darkness  there  :  the  reason  is,  because  heavenly 
wisdom  is  to  those  who  are  in  hell  as  thick  darkness ; 
and  on  the  contrary,  infernal  insanity  is  to  those  who 
are  in  heaven  as  thick  darkness.  From  these  things 
it  may  be  evident,  that  such  understanding  as  man 


152  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

has,  such  light  he  has,  and  that  every  one  comes  into 
his  own  light  after  death ;  for  he  does  not  see  in  any 
other  :  and  in  the  spiritual  world,  where  all  are  spirit- 
ual even  as  to  their  bodies,  the  eyes  of  all  are  formed 
for  seeing  from  their  light ;  the  life's  love  of  every  one 
makes  for  itself  understanding,  and  thus  also  light ; 
for  love  is  as  the  fire  of  life,  from  which  is  the  light  of 
life. 

168.  Since  few  know  anything  concerning  illustra- 
tion, in  which  the  understanding  of  man  is  who  is 
taught  by  the  Lord,  therefore  something  shall  be  said 
concerning  it.  There  is  illustration  from  the  Lord, 
interior  and  exterior;  and  there  is  also  illustration 
from  man,  interior  and  exterior :  interior  illustration 
from  the  Lord  is,  that  man  perceives,  from  the  first 
hearing,  whether  what  is  said  is  true  or  not  true ; 
exterior  illustration  is  thence  in  the  thought :  interior 
illustration  from  man  is  from  confirmation  alone ;  and 
exterior  illustration  from  man  is  from  science  alone : 
but  something  shall  be  said  concerning  each.  The 
rational  man  from  interior  illustration  from  the  Lord 
forthwith  perceives,  when  he  hears,  very  many  things, 
whether  they  are  true  or  not  true :  let  there  be  for 
example  these  :  That  love  is  the  life  of  faith,  or  that 
faith  lives  from  love  :  from  interior  illustration  man 
perceives  this  also,  that  whatever  man  loves,  that  he 
wills;  and  that  what  he  wills,  that  he  does;  and 
hence  that  to  love  is  to  do  :  and  this  also,  that  what- 
ever man  believes  from  love,  this  also  he  wills  and 
does;  and  hence  that  to  have  faith  is  also  to  do:  and 
also,  that  an  impious  one  cannot  have  a  love  of  God, 
thus  neither  a  faith  of  God.  The  rational  man  from 
interior  illustration  also,  when  he  hears,  forthwith 
perceives  these  things  :  That  God  is  one  :  That  He  is 
omnipresent :  That  all  good  is  from  Him  :  also.  That 
all  things  have  relation  to  good  and  truth;  and  that 
all  good  is  from  good  itself,  and  all  truth  is  from  truth 
itself.  These  and  other  hke  things  man  perceives 
interiorly  in  himself,  when  he  hears  them ;  that  he 
does  perceive,  is  because  he  has  rationality  ;  and  this 


THE    DIVINE    PilOVIDENCE.  153 

in  the  light  of  heaven  which  ilhistrates.  Exterior 
illustration  is  ilhistration  of  the  thought  from  that 
interior  ilhistration;  and  the  thought  is  so  far  in  that 
illustration,  as  it  rernaius  in  the  perception  which  it 
has  from  interior  illustration,  and  at  the  same  time  as 
far  as  it  has  knowledges  of  good  and  truth ;  for  from 
these  it  takes  reasons,  by  which  it  confirms.  From 
this  exterior  illustration,  thought  sees  a  matter  on  both 
sides;  on  one  it  sees  the  reasons  which  confirm,  and 
on  the  other  it  sees  the  appearances  which  invali- 
date :  the  latter  it  disperses,  the  former  it  collects. 
But  interior  illustration  from  'man  is  altogether  differ- 
ent ;  by  this  man  sees  a  matter  on  one  side,  and  not 
on  the  other;  and  when  he  has  confirmed  it,  he  sees 
it  in  a  light  similar  as  to  appearance  to  the  light 
spoken  of  above ;  but  it  is  wintry  light :  let  there  be 
for  example  this :  A  judge,  who  from  gifts  and  for  the 
sake  of  gain  judges  unjustly,  after  he  has  confirmed 
the  judgment  by  the  laws  and  by  reasons,  sees  nothing 
but  what  is  just  in  his  judgment :  some  see  what  is 
unjust ;  but  because  they  do  not  wish  to  see  it,  they 
darken  and  blind  themselves,  and  thus  do  not  see ;  it 
is  the  like  with  the  judge  who  passes  judgments  from 
friendship,  from  seeking  for  favor,  or  from  conjunction 
by  relationships.  To  such  it  is  the  like  with  every- 
thing which  they  derive  from  the  mouth  of  a  man  of 
authority,  or  from  the  mouth  of  a  man  of  fame,  or 
have  hatched  out  from  their  own  intelligence  :  they 
are  blind  rationals ;  for  from  the  falsities  they  con- 
firm, have  they  sight;  and  falsity  shuts,  and  truth 
opens  it.  Such  do  not  see  any  truth  from  the  light  of 
truth,  nor  anything  just  from  the  love  of  what  is 
just;  but  from  the  light  of  confirmation,  which  is 
fatuous  light :  they  appear  in  the  spiritual  world  as  a 
face  Avithout  a  head,  or  as  faces  like  to  human  faces 
behind  which  are  wooden  heads,  and  they  are  called 
rational  cattle,  because  they  have  rationality  in  poten- 
cy. But  exterior  illustration  from  man  is  with  those 
who  think  and  speak  from  science  alone  impressed  on 


154  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

the  memory :  these  of  themselves  are  very  httle  able 
to  confirm  anything. 

169.  These  are  the  distinctions  of  illustration,  and 
thence  of  perception  and  thought :  actual  illustration 
is  from  spiritual  light ;  but  illustration  itself  from  that 
light  is  not  apparent  to  any  one  in  the  natural  world, 
because  natural  light  has  nothing  in  common  with 
spiritual  light:  but  that  illustration  has  sometimes 
been  apparent  to  me  in  the  spiritual  world,  being  seen 
Avith  those  who  were  in  illustration  from  the  Lord,  as 
something  luminous  around  the  head,  glowing  red  of 
the  color  of  the  human  face.  But  with  those  who 
were  in  illustration  from  themselves,  there  appeared 
such  a  luminous  thing,  not  around  the  head,  but 
around  the  mouth  and  above  the  chin. 

170.  Besides  these  illustrations  there  is  also  given 
another  illustration,  by  which  it  is  revealed  to  man  in 
what  faith,  in  what  intelligence  and  wisdom  he  is  ; 
which  revelation  is  such,  that  he  perceives  it  in  him- 
self: he  is  sent  into  a  society  where  there  is  genuine 
faith,  and  where  is  true  intelligence  and  wisdom  ;  and 
there  his  interior  rationality  is  opened,  from  which  he 
sees  his  faith,  and  his  intelligence  and  wisdom,  what 
they  are,  even  to  acknowledgment :  I  have  seen  some 
returning  thence,  and  have  heard  them  confessing 
that  they  had  nothing  of  faith,  although  they  believed 
in  the  world  that  they  had  much  and  remarkable 
above  others  ;  in  like  manner  concerning  their  intelli- 
gence and  wisdom :  they  were  those  who  are  in  sepa- 
rate faith,  and  in  no  charity,  and  who  are  in  their 
own  intelligence. 

171.  IV.  That  man  is  taught  of  the  Lord  by  the 
Word,  doctrine  and  'preachings  from  it,  and  thus  im- 
mediately from  Himself  alone.  It  has  been  said  and 
shown  above,  that  man  is  led  and  taught  of  the 
Lord  alone,  and  that  it  is  from  heaven,  and  not 
through  heaven,  or  through  any  angel  there  ;  and  be- 
cause he  is  led  of  the  Lord  alone,  it  follows  that  it  is 
immediately  and  not  mediately  :  but  how  this  is,  shall 
now  be  said. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  155 

172.  In  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  con- 
cerning THE  Sacred  Scripture,  it  was  shown  that  the 
Lord  is  the  Word,  and  that  all  doctrine  of  the  church 
is  to  be  drawn  from  the  Word  :  now  because  the  Lord 
is  the  Word,  it  follows  that  man  who  is  taught  from 
the  Word,  is  taught  by  the  Lord  alone.  But  because 
this  is  comprehended  with  difficulty,  it  shall  be  illus- 
trated in  this  order.  1.  That  the  Lord  is  the  Word, 
because  the  Word  is  from  Him  and  concerning  Him. 
2.  And  because  it  is  the  divine  truth  of  the  divine 
good.  3.  That  thus  to  be  taught  from  the  Word  is  to 
be  taught  from  Him.  4.  And,  that  it  is  done  me- 
diately through  preachings,  does  not  take  away  the 
immediate.  First  :  That  the  Lord  is  the  Word,  be- 
cause it  is  from  Him  and  concerning  Him.  That  the 
Word  is  from  the  Lord,  is  denied  by  no  one  in  the 
church;  but  that  the  Word  is  concerning  the  Lord 
alone,  is  not  indeed  denied,  yet  not  known ;  but  it  is 
shown  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  con- 
cerning THE  Lord,  n.  1  to  7,  and  n.  37  to  44 ;  and  in 
the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the 
Sacred  Scripture,  n.  62  to  69,  n.  80  to  90,  n.  98  to 
100  :  now  because  the  Word  is  from  the  Lord  alone, 
and  concerning  the  Lord  alone,  it  follows  that  when 
man  is  taught  from  the  Word,  he  is  taught  from  the 
Lord  ;  for  the  Word  is  divine  :  who  can  communicate 
the  Divine,  and  put  it  into  the  hearts,  except  the 
Divine  itself,  from  which  it  is,  and  concerning  which 
it  treats :  wherefore  the  Lord  says,  when  he  speaks 
concerning  the  conjunction  of  Himself  with  the  disci- 
ples. That  they  shoidd  remain  in  Him.,  and  His  icords 
in  them,  John  xv.  7  :  That  His  icords  were  spirit 
and  life,  John  vi.  63  :  And  that  He  ivould  have  an 
abode  with  them  who  kept  His  u'ords,  xiv.  20  to  24 : 
wherefore  to  think  from  the  Lord,  is  from  the  Word, 
as  through  the  Word.  That  all  things  of  the  Word 
have  communication  with  heaven,  is  shown  in  the 
Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sa- 
cred Scripture,  from  beginning  to  end  ;  and  because 
the  Lord  is  heaven,  it  is  understood  that  all  things  of 


156  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

the  Word  have  commimication  with  the  Lord  Himself ; 
the  angels  of  heaven  indeed  have  communication,  but 
this  also  from  the  Lord.  Secondly  :  That  the  Lord 
is  the  Word,  because  it  is  the  divine  iriitJi  of  tlie  divine 
good :  that  the  Lord  is  the  Word,  He  teaches,  in  John, 
in  these  words  :  In  the  beginning  toas  the  Word,  and 
the  Word  ivas  with  God,  and  God  ivas  the  Word: 
and  the  Word  became  Jlesh  and  divelt  among  us :  i.  1, 
14:  because  this  has  hitherto  been  no  otherwise  un- 
derstood, than  that  God  taught  man  through  the 
Word,  therefore  it  has  been  explained  as  a  hyper- 
bolical expression,  which  involves  that  the  Lord  is  not 
the  Word  itself:  the  reason  is  because  they  have  not 
known  that  by  the  Word  is  understood  the  divine 
truth  of  the  divine  good,  or,  what  is  the  same,  the 
divine  wisdom  of  the  divine  love :  that  these  are  the 
Lord  Himself,  is  shown  in  the  treatise  concerning  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  in  part  first ;  and  that 
these  are  the  Word,  is  shown  in  the  Doctrine  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture, 
n.  1  to  86.  How  the  Lord  is  the  divine  truth  of  the 
divine  good,  shall  also  be  here  said  in  few  words  : 
every  man  is  not  man  from  the  face  and  body,  but  from 
the  good  of  his  love  and  from  the  truths  of  his  wisdom ; 
and  because  man  is  man  from  these,  every  man  is  also 
his  trutli  and  his  good,  or  his  love  and  his  wisdom; 
without  these  he  is  not  man  :  but  the  Lord  is  good 
itself  and  truth  itself,  or,  what  is  the  same,  love  itself 
and  wisdom  itself;  and  these  are  the  Word,  which 
was  in  the  beginning  with  God,  and  which  was  God, 
and  which  became  flesh.  Thirdly  :  That  thus  to  he 
tavght  from  the  Word  is  to  be  taught  of  tlie  Lord 
Himself  because  it  is  from  good  itself  and  truth  itself, 
or  from  love  itself  and  wisdom  itself,  which  are  the 
Word,  as  was  said  ;  but  every  one  is  taught  according 
to  the  understanding  of  his  love  ;  what  is  over  and 
above  does  not  remain.  All  those  who  are  taught  by 
the  Lord  in  the  Word,  are  taught  in  few  truths  in  the 
world,  but  in  many  when  they  become  angels;  for 
the  interiors  of  the  Word,  which  are  divine  spiritual 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  157 

and  divine  celestial  things,  are  implanted  at  the  same 
time ;  but  these  are  not  opened  with  man,  till  after 
his  death,  in  heaven,  where  he  is  in  angelic  wisdom, 
which,  respectively"  to  human,  thus  to  his  former 
wisdom,  is  ineffable.  That  divine  spiritual  and  divine 
celestial  things,  whicii  make  angelic  wisdom,  are  in 
each  and  all  things  of  the  Word,  may  be  seen  in  the 
Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the 
Sacred  Scripture,  n.  5  to  26.  Fourthly  :  That  this  is 
done  mediately  through  preachings,  does  not  take 
away  the  imniediate :  the  Word  cannot  be  taught  oth- 
erwise than  mediately  through  parents,  masters, 
preachers,  books,  and  especially  through  the  reading 
of  it;  but  still  it  is  not  taught  by  them,  but  through 
them  by  the  Lord  :  this  is  also  according  to  what  is 
known  to  preachers,  who  say,  that  they  do  not  speak 
from  themselves,  but  from  the  spirit  of  God  ;  and  that 
all  truth  as  all  good  is  from  God :  they  can  indeed 
speak  it.  and  bring  it  to  the  understanding  of  many, 
but  not  to  the  heart  of  any  one ;  and  that  which  is 
not  in  the  heart,  perishes  in  the  understanding:  by 
heart  is  understood  the  love  of  man.  From  these 
things  it  may  be  seen,  that  man  is  led  and  taught  by 
the  Lord  alone  ;  and  that  it  is  immediately  by  Him, 
when  from  the  Word.  This  is  an  arcanum  of  arcana 
of  angelic  wisdom. 

173.  That  by  means  of  the  Word  those  also  have 
light  who  are  out  of  the  church,  and  have  not  the 
Word,  was  shown  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,  n.  104  to 
113 :  and  because  through  the  Word  man  has  light, 
and  from  light  has  understanding,  and  the  evil  have 
the  latter  as  well  as  the  good,  it  follows  that  from 
light  in  its  origin  there  is  light  in  its  derivations,  which 
are  perceptions  and  thoughts  concerning  anything 
whatever  :  the  Lord  says,  Thai  without  Him  they  can 
do  nothing,  John  xv.  5.  That  man  cannot  take  any- 
thing, unless  it  he  given  him  from  heaven,  John  iii. 
27.  And  that  the  Father  in  the  heavens  maketh  his 
sun  to  rise  upon  the  evil  and  the  good;  and  sendeth 
14 


158  ANGELIC    W1SI>0:\I    CONCEItNlNG 

rain  upon  the  just  and  the  myiist,  Matt.  v.  45  :  by  snri 
here,  as  elscAvhere  in  the  Word,  in  its  spiritual  sense,  is 
understood  the  divine  good  of  the  divine  love,  and  by- 
rain,  the  divine  truth  of  the  divine  wisdom  ;  these  are 
given  to  the  evil  and  the  good,  and  to  the  just  and  the 
unjust ;  for  if  they  were  not  given.,  no  one  would 
have  perception  and  thouglit.  That  there  is  but  one 
only  life,  from  which  all  have  life,  was  shown  above; 
and  perception  and  thought  are  of  life  ;  wherefore 
from  the  same  fountain,  from  which  life  is,  perception 
and  thought  also  are.  That  all  light,  which  makes 
the  understanding,  is  from  the  sun  of  the  spiritual 
world,  which  is  the  Lord,  has  been  demonstrated 
before  in  many  places. 

174.  V.  That  'man  is  led  and  taught  of  the  Lord  in 
externals  i?i  all  appearance  as  of  himself :  this  is  done 
in  his  externals,  but  not  in  internals  ;  no  one  knows 
how  the  Lord  leads  and  teaches  man  in  his  internals, 
as  he  does  not  know  how  the  soul  operates  that  the 
eye  should  see,  the  ear  hear,  the  tongue  and  mouth 
speak,  the  heart  actuate  the  blood,  the  lungs  breathe, 
the  stomach  digest,  the  liver  and  pancreas  dispose,  the 
kidneys  secrete,  and  numberless  other  things  :  these 
do  not  come  to  man's  perception  and  sensation  :  in 
like  manner  those  things  which  are  done  by  the  Lord 
in  the  interior  substances  and  forms  of  the  mind ; 
these  are  infinitely  more  :  the  operations  of  the  Lord 
in  them  do  not  appear  to  man;  but  the  effects  them- 
selves appear,  which  are  many  ;  and  also  some  causes 
of  the  effects  :  the  latter  are  the  external  things,  in 
which  man  is  together  with  the  Lord  ;  and  because 
the  externals  make  one  with  the  internals,  for  they 
cohere  in  one  series,  therefore  he  cannot  otherwise  be 
disposed  in  internals  by  the  Lord,  than  according  to 
that  which  is  disposed  in  externals  by  the  means  of 
man.  That  man  thinks,  wills,  speaks  and  does,  in  all 
appearance  as  of  himself,  every  one  knows  ;  and  that 
without  that  appearance  man  would  have  no  will  and 
understanding,  thus  no  affection  and  thought,  and 
also  no  reception  of  any  good  and  truth  from  the  Lord, 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  159 

every  one  can  see :  since  it  is  so,  it  follows  that  with- 
out that  appearance  there  would  be  no  knowledge  of 
God,  no  charity  and  faith,  and  hence  no  reformation 
and  regeneration,  thus  no  salvation;  from  which  it  is 
manifest,  that  that  appearance  is  given  to  man  by  the 
Lord  for  the  sake  of  all  these  uses  ;  and  chiefly  that 
he  might  have  a  receptive  and  a  reciprocal,  through 
which  the  Lord  maybe  conjoined  to  man,  and  man  to 
the  Lord  ;  and  that  man  by  that  conjunction  may  live 
to  eternity.  This  is  the  appearance  which  is  here 
understood. 


THAT  IT  IS  A  LAW  OF  THE  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE  THAT  MAN 
SHOULD  NOT  PERCEIVE  AND  FEEL  ANYTHING  CONCERNING 
THE  OPERATION  OF  THE  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE,  BUT  THAT 
HE  SHOULD  STILL  KNOW  AND  ACKNOWLEDGE  IT. 

175.  The  natural  man,  who  does  not  believe  in 
the  Divine  Providence,  thinks  with  himself,  What  is 
Divine  Providence,  when  the  evil  are  raised  to  honors 
and  gain  wealth  more  than  the  good,  and  many  like 
things  succeed  with  those  who  do  not  believe  in  the  Di- 
vine Providence  more  than  with  those  who  do  believe? 
yea,  that  the  unbelieving  and  impious  may  bring 
wrongs,  injuries,  misfortunes,  and  sometimes  death, 
upon  the  believing  and  pious,  and  this  by  craftiness 
and  malice  ;  and  thus  he  thinks.  Do  I  not  see  from 
experience  itself  as  in  clear  day,  that  guileful  machi- 
nations, provided  man  from  ingenious  shrewdness  can 
cause  them  to  appear  as  faithful  and  just,  prevail  over 
fidelity  and  justice  ?  what  is  the  rest,  but  necessities, 
consequences,  and  fortuities,  in  which  nothing  of 
Divine  Providence  appears?  are  not  necessities  of 
nature  ?  are  not  consequences  causes  flowing  from 
natural  or  civil  order?  and  fortuities  either  from  causes 
which  are  unknown,  or  from  no  causes?  Such  things 
the  natural  man  thinks  with  himself,  who  ascribes  no- 
thing to  God,  but  all  things  to  nature  ;  for  he  who 
attributes  nothing  to  God  also  attributes  nothing  to 


160  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

the  Divine  Providence  ;  for  God  and  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence make  one.  But  the  spiritual  man  says  or 
thinks  otherwise  with  himself:  allhoiigh  he  does  not 
perceive  in  thought,  nor  see  by  eye-sight,  the  Divine 
Providence  in  its  progression,  still  he  knows  and  ac- 
knowledges it.  Now  because  the  appearances  and 
thence  fallacies  mentioned  above  have  blinded  the 
understanding,  and  it  cannot  receive  any  sight,  unless 
the  fallacies  which  have  brought  on  the  blindness,  and 
the  falsities  which  have  induced  the  thick  darkness, 
be  removed,  and  this  cannot  be  done  except  by  truths, 
in  which  is  the  power  of  dispersing  falsities,  there- 
fore they  are  to  be  laid  open  ;  but  that  it  may  be  done 
distinctly,  it  shall  be  in  this  order.  I.  That  if  man 
perceived  and  felt  the  operation  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, he  would  not  act  from  freedom  according  to 
reason,  nor  would  anything  appear  to  him  as  of  him- 
self In  like  manner  if  he  foreknew  events.  II.  That 
if  man  manifestly  saw  the  Divine  Providence,  he 
would  interfere  with  the  order  and  tenor  of  its  course, 
and  pervert  and  destroy  it.  III.  That  if  man  mani- 
festly saw  the  Divine  Providence,  he  would  either 
deny  God,  or  would  make  himself  God.  IV.  That  it 
is  given  to  man  to  see  the  Divine  Providence  on  the 
back  and  not  in  the  face;  also  in  a  spiritual  state  and 
not  in  a  natural  state. 

176.  I.  TJiat  if  man  perceived  and  felt  the  opera- 
tion of  the  Divine  Providence,  he  would  not  act  from 
freedom  according  to  reason,  nor  woidd  anyihing- 
appear  to  him  as  his.  In  like  manner  if  man  fore- 
knew events.  That  it  is  a  law  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, that  man  should  act  from  freedom  according  to 
r6ason  ;  also  that  everything  which  man  wills,  thinks, 
speaks  and  does,  should  appear  to  him  as  of  himself; 
and  that  without  that  appearance  no  man  would  have 
his  own,  or  be  his  own  man  ;  thus  he  would  not 
have  a  proprium ;  and  thus  he  would  have  no  impu- 
tation, without  which  it  would  be  indifferent  whether 
he  did  evil  or  good,  and  \vhether  he  had  the  faith 
of  God  or   the   persuasion   of  hell ;    in  a  word,  that 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  IGl 

he  would  not  be  man,  has  been  shown  above  to  the 
evidence  of  the  understanding  in  their  appropriate 
articles.  It  shall  here  be  now  shown,  that  man  would 
have  no  liberty  of  acting  according  to  reason,  and  no 
appearance  of  acting  as  of  himself,  if  he  perceived 
and  felt  the  o^^eration  of  the  Divine  Providence  ;  since 
if  he  perceived  and  felt  it,  he  would  also  be  led  by  it; 
for  the  Lord  by  His  Divine  Providence  leads  all,  and 
man  does  not  lead  himself  except  apparently,  as  was 
also  shown  above;  wherefore  if  to  living  perception 
and  sensation  he  were  led,  he  would  not  be  conscious 
of  life,  and  then  would  scarcely  be  otherwise  actuated 
to  making  sounds  and  acting,  than  as  a  sculpture :  if 
he  were  still  conscious  of  life,  he  would  then  not  be 
otherwise  led,  tban  as  one  bound  with  handcuffs  and 
fetters,  or  as  a  beast  before  a  cart :  who  does  not  see, 
that  man  would  then  have  no  freedom  1  and  if  no 
freedom,  he  would  have  no  reason ;  for  every  one 
thinks  from  freedom  and  in  freedom;  and  whatever 
he  thinks  not  from  freedom  and  in  freedom,  does  not 
appear  to  him  to  be  from  himself,  but  from  another; 
yea,  if  you  weigh  this  interiorly,  you  will  perceive 
that  he  would  not  have  thought,  still  less  reason,  and 
hence  would  not  be  man. 

177.  The  operation  of  the  Divine  Providence  of 
the  Lord  to  lead  man  from  evils  is  continual ;  if  any 
one  perceived  and  was  sensible  of  this  continual  ope- 
ration, and  still  was  not  led  as  one  bound,  would  he 
not  continually  withstand,  and  then  either  quarrel 
with  God,  or  intermingle  himself  with  the  Divine 
Providence?  if  the  latter,  he  would  also  make  himself 
God ;  if  the  former,  he  would  release  himself  from 
bonds,  and  deny  God :  this  is  clearly  manifest,  that 
there  would  be  two  powers  continually  acting  against 
each  other ;  the  power  of  evil  from  man,  and  the 
power  of  good  from  the  Lord ;  and  when  two  opposites 
act  against  each  other,  then  either  the  one  conquers, 
or  both  perish  ;  but  here,  if  one  conquers,  both  perish  ; 
for  the  evil  which  is  of  man  does  not  receive  good 
from  the  Lord  in  a  moment,  nor  does  good  from  the 
14* 


162  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

Lord  cast  out  evil  from  man  in  a  moment ;  if  the 
one  or  the  other  were  done  in  a  moment,  hfe  would 
not  remain  to  man.  These  and  more  and  other  inju- 
rious things  would  exist,  if  man  manifestly  perceived 
or  was  sensible  of  the  operation  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence. But  this  will  be  clearly  demonstrated  by 
examples  in  what  follows. 

178.  The  reason  also  that  it  is  not  given  to  man  to 
foreknow  events  is,  that  he  may  act  from  freedom 
according  to  reason ;  for  it  is  known  that  whatever 
man  loves,  he  wills  its  effect,  and  leads  himself  to  the 
latter  by  reason  ;  also  that  there  is  nothing  that  man 
revolves  by  reason,  which  is  not  from  a  love  that  it 
may  come  through  thought  to  effect;  wherefore  if  he 
knew  the  effect  or  the  event  from  divine  prediction, 
reason  would  quiesce,  and  with  reason  love ;  for  love 
with  reason  comes  to  a  close  in  the  effect,  and  from  it 
there  then  begins  a  new  one.  The  very  delight  of 
reason  is,  from  love  in  thought  to  see  the  effect,  not  in 
it  but  before  it,  or  not  in  the  present  but  the  future  : 
hence  man  has  what  is  called  Hope,  which  increases 
and  decreases  in  reason,  as  it  sees  or  waits  for  the  event: 
this  delight  is  fulfilled  in  the  event,  but  then  it  is  oblite- 
rated with  the  thought  concerning  it :  in  like  manner 
would  it  be  with  an  event  foreknown.  The  mind  of  man 
is  continually  in  these  three  things,  which  are  called 
end,  cause  and  efiect ;  if  one  of  them  is  wanting,  the 
human  mind  is  not  in  its  life  :  the  affection  of  the  will 
is  the  end  from  which  ;  the  thought  of  the  understand- 
ing is  the  cause  by  which  ;  and  the  action  of  the  body, 
the  speech  of  the  mouth,  or  external  sensation,  are  the 
effect  of  the  end  through  the  thought :  that  the  human 
mind  is  not  in  its  life,  when  it  is  only  in  the  affection 
of  the  will,  and  nothing  further,  in  like  manner  when 
only  in  the  effect,  is  manifest  to  every  one  ;  wherefore 
the  mind  has  no  life  from  one  of  them  separately,  but 
from  the  three  conjointly;  this  life  of  the  mind  would 
be  diminished  and  recede  in  a  predicted  event. 

179.  Since  the  foreknowledge  of  future  things  takes 
away  the  human  itself,  which  is  to  act  from  freedom 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  163 

according  to  reason,  therefore  it  is  given  to  no  one  to 
know  future  things,  but  it  is  permitted  to  every  one  to 
conchide  from  reason  concerning  future  things ;  thence 
reason,  with  all  things  of  it,  is  in  its  life :  from  this  it 
is,  that  man  knows  not  his  lot  after  death,  nor  knows 
any  event  before  he  is  in  it ;  for  if  he  knew,  he  would 
no  longer  think  from  his  interior  self,  how  he  should 
do  or  live,  that  he  might  come  to  it ;  but  only  from  his 
exterior  self,  that  he  might  come ;  and  this  state  closes 
the  interiors  of  his  mind,  in  which  the  two  faculties 
of  his  life,  which  are  liberty  and  rationality,  chiefly 
reside.  The  desire  of  foreknowing  future  things  is 
innate  with  most;  but  this  desire  derives  its  origin 
from  the  love  of  evil ;  wherefore  it  is  taken  away  from 
those  who  believe  in  the  Divine  Providence,  and  there 
is  given  to  them  a  trust  that  the  Lord  disposes  their  lot ; 
and  hence  they  do  not  wish  to  foreknow  it,  lest  they 
should  themselves  in  some  way  interfere  with  the 
Divine  Providence :  this  the  Lord  teaches  by  many 
things  in  Luke  xii.  14  to  48.  That  this  is  a  law  of 
the  Divine  Providence,  may  be  confirmed  by  many 
things  from  the  spiritual  world :  most,  when  they 
come  into  it  after  death,  wish  to  know  their  lot ;  but  it 
is  answered  them,  that  if  they  have  lived  well,  their 
lot  is  in  heaven ;  if  they  have  lived  ill,  in  hell :  but 
because  all,  even  the  evil,  fear  hell,  they  ask  what 
they  shall  do  and  what  they  shall  believe,  that  they 
may  come  into  heaven ;  but  it  is  answered  them,  that 
they  may  do  and  beheve  as  they  wish,  but  may  know 
that  in  hell  they  do  not  do  good  nor  believe  truth,  but 
in  heaven;  inquire  what  good  is  and  what  truth  is, 
and  think  the  latter  and  do  the  former,  if  you  can: 
thus  every  one  is  left  to  act  from  freedom  according  to 
reason,  in  the  spiritual  world  as  in  the  natural  world ; 
but  as  they  have  acted  in  this  world,  so  they  act  in 
that;  for  his  life  remains  to  every  one,  and  hence  his 
lot;  because  the  lot  is  of  the  life. 

180.  II.  Tliat  if  man  manifestly  satv  the  Divine 
Providence^  he  toould  inteifere  with  the  order  and  tenor 
of  its  course^  and  j^^rv^rt  and  destroy  it:  that  these 


164  ANGELIC  "WISDOM  CONCERNING 

things  may  come  distinctly  into  the  perception  of  the 
rational  and  also  of  the  natural  man,  they  must  be 
illustrated  by  examples,  in  this  order.  1.  That  exter- 
nals have  such  a  connection  with  internals,  that  in  all 
operation  they  make  one.  2.  That  man  is  only  in 
certain  externals  with  the  Lord ;  and  if  he  were  in 
internals,  he  would  pervert  and  destroy  all  the  order 
and  tenor  of  the  course  of  the  Divine  Providence  :  but, 
as  was  said,  these  shall  be  illustrated  by  examples. 
First  :  That  externals  have  such  a  connection  iinth 
internals^  that  in  all  oj)cration  they  make  one  :  illustra- 
tion by  examples  may  here  be  made  by  some  things 
which  are  in  the  human  body :  in  the  whole  and  in  every 
part  there  are  internals  and  externals;  the  externals 
therein  are  called  skins,  membranes,  and  envelopes;  the 
internals  are  forms  variously  compounded  and  inwo- 
ven of  nervous  fibres  and  blood-vessels  :  the  envelope, 
which  encompasses  by  offsets  from  itself,  enters  into 
all  the  interiors  even  to  the  inmost  parts ;  thus  the  exter- 
nal, which  is  the  envelope,  conjoins  itself  with  all  the 
internals,  which  are  organic  forms  from  fibres  and  ves- 
sels: from  which  it  follows,  that  as  the  external  acts 
or  is  acted  upon,  the  internals  also  act  or  are  acted  upon ; 
for  there  is  a  perpetual  confasciculation  of  all  things. 
Take  only  some  common  envelope  in  the  body,  as  for 
example  the  Pleura,  which  is  the  common  envelope  of 
the  chest,  or  of  the  heart  and  lungs ;  and  survey  it  with 
an  anatomical  eye ;  and  if  this  has  not  been  your  study, 
consult  anatomists,  and  you  will  hear  that  this  com- 
mon envelope,  by  various  circumvolutions,  and  then 
by  oifsets  from  itself,  finer  and  finer,  enters  into  the 
inmost  parts  of  the  lungs,  even  into  the  smallest 
bronchial  ramifications,  and  into  the  follicles  them- 
selves, which  are  the  beginnings  of  the  lungs :  not  to 
mention  its  course  afterwards  through  the  trachea  into 
the  larynx  towards  the  tongue  :  from  which  it  is  man- 
ifest that  there  is  a  perpetual  connection  of  things  out- 
most with  things  inmost;  wherefore  as  the  outmost 
acts  or  is  acted  upon,  so  also  the  interiors  from  things 
inmost  act  or  are  acted  upon :    which  is  the  cause 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  165 

that  when  that  outmost  covering,  which  is  the 
pleura,  is  either  inundated  or  inflamed,  or  is  filled 
Avith  ulcers,  the  lungs  are  diseased  from  the  inmost 
parts;  and  if  the  disease  grows  worse,  all  action 
of  the  lungs  is  discontinued,  and  man  dies.  It  is 
the  like  everywhere  else  in  the  whole  body,  as  with 
the  Peritoneum,  the  common  envelope  of  all  the  vis- 
cera of  the  abdomen;  and  also  with  the  envelopes 
around  every  one,  as  with  the  stomach,  the  liver,  the 
pancreas,  the  spleen,  the  intestines,  the  mesentery,  the 
kidneys,  and  tlie  organs  of  generation  in  both  sexes : 
take  some  one  of  these,  and  either  survey  it  yourself 
and  you  will  see,  or  consult  those  skilled  in  the  sci- 
ence and  you  will  hear;  for  example,  take  the  liver, 
and  you  will  detect  that  there  is  a  connection  of  the 
peritonenm  with  the  envelope  of  that  viscus,  and  by 
the  envelope  with  the  inmost  things  of  it ;  for  there 
are  perpetual  off'sets  thence,  and  insertions  towards 
the  interiors,  and  thus  continuations  to  the  inmost 
parts,  and  thence  a  confasciation  of  all  things,  which 
is  such  that  when  the  envelope  acts  or  is  acted  upon, 
the  whole  form  in  like  manner  acts  or  is  acted  upon.  It 
is  the  like  with  the  rest :  the  reason  is,  because  in  every 
form,  the  general  and  the  particular,  or  the  universal 
and  the  singular,  by  a  wonderful  conjunction,  act  as 
one.  That  the  like  takes  place  in  spiritual  forms  and 
in  the  changes  and  variations  of  their  state,  which 
have  relation  to  the  operations  of  the  will  and  under- 
standing, as  in  natural  forms  and  their  operations, 
which  have  relation  to  motions  and  actions,  will  be 
seen  below.  Now  because  man,  in  certain  external 
operations,  is  together  with  the  Lord,  and  the  liberty 
of  acting  according  to  reason  is  not  taken  away  from 
any  one,  it  follows  that  the  Lord  cannot  otherwise  act 
in  the  internals  than  as  together  with  man  in  the  exter- 
nals; wherefore  if  man  does  not  shun  and  loathe  evils 
as  sins,  the  external  of  thought  and  will  is  vitiated  and 
impaired,  and  then  at  the  same  time  their  internal; 
comparatively  as  the  pleura,  from  its  disease  which  is 
called  the  pleurisy,  from  which  the  body  dies.    Second- 


166  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

LY :  That  if  man  roere  at  the  same  time  in  internals^ 
he  ivo7ild  jyervert  and  destroy  all  the  order  and  tenor  of 
the  Divine  Providence:  this  also  will  be  illustrated  by 
examples  from  the  human  body:  if  man  knew  all  the 
operations  of  both  the  brains  into  the  fibres,  and  of  the 
fibres  into  the  muscles,  and  of  the  muscles  into  the 
actions,  and  from  the  science  of  them  disposed  all 
things  as  he  disposes  actions,  would  he  not  pervert 
and  destroy  all  things?  If  man  knew  how  the 
stomach  digests,  how  the  viscera  round  about  go 
about  their  task,  elaborate  the  blood,  and  distribute  it 
to  every  work  of  life,  and  if  he  was  in  the  disposing 
of  these  as  he  is  in  externals,  as  when  he  eats  and 
drinks,  would  he  not  pervert  and  destroy  all  things  'I 
when  he  cannot  dispose  the  external,  which  appears 
as  one,  but  that  he  destroys  it  by  luxury  and  intem- 
perance, what  then,  if  he  also  disposed  the  internals, 
which  are  infinite?  wherefore  the  internals,  lest  man 
by  some  will  should  enter  into  them  and  make  them 
subject  to  himself,  are  altogether  exempt  from  his 
will,  except  the  muscles,  which  make  the  clothing; 
and  it  is  also  unknown  how  these  act,  and  is  only 
known  that  they  act.  It  is  the  like  with  the  rest,  as, 
if  man  disposed  the  interiors  of  the  eye  to  seeing,  the 
interiors  of  the  ear  to  hearing,  the  interiors  of  the  tongue 
to  tasting,  the  interiors  of  the  skin  to  feeling,  the  inte- 
riors of  the  heart  to  acting  systolically,  the  interiors  of 
the  lungs  to  breathing,  the  interiors  of  the  mesentery 
to  distributing  the  chyle,  the  interiors  of  the  kidneys  to 
secreting,  the  interiors  of  the  organs  of  generation  to 
prolificating,  the  interiors  of  the  womb  to  perfecting 
the  embryo,  and  so  on,  v/ould  he  not  in  infinite  ways 
pervert  and  destroy  in  them  the  order  of  the  course 
of  the  Divine  Providence?  that  man  is  in  externals  is 
known,  as  that  he  sees  with  the  eye,  hears  v/itli  the 
ear,  tastes  with  the  tongue,  feels  with  the  skin,  breathes 
with  the  lungs,  contributes  to  propagation,  and  so  on  : 
is  it  not  enough  that  he  should  know  the  externals,  and 
dispose  them  to  the  health  of  the  body  and  the  mind? 
since  he  cannot  do  this,  what  would  be  done  if  he  also 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  167 

disposed  the  internals  7  From  these  things  it  may 
now  be  evident,  that  if  man  manifestly  saw  the  Divine 
Providence,  he  would  interfere  with  the  order  and 
tenor  of  its  course,  and  pervert  and  destroy  it. 

181.  That  it  is  the  like  in  the  spiritual  things  of 
the  mind,  as  it  is  in  the  natural  things  of  the  body,  is 
because  all  things  of  the  mind  correspond  to  all  things 
of  the  body ;  wherefore  also  the  mind  actuates  the 
body,  in  externals,  and  in  the  general,  at  full  pleasure; 
it  actuates  the  eyes  to  seeing,  the  ears  to  hearing,  the 
mouth  and  tongue  to  eating  and  drinking,  and  also  to 
speaking,  the  hands  to  doing,  the  feet  to  walking,  the 
organs  of  generation  to  prolificating  :  the  mind  not 
only  actuates  the  externals  to  these  things,  but  also 
the  internals  in  all  series;  the  outmost  things  from  the 
inmost,  and  the  inmost  things  from  the  outmost :  thus 
while  it  actuates  the  mouth  to  speaking,  it  actuates 
the  lungs,  the  larynx,  the  glottis,  the  tongue,  the  lips, 
and  each  one  distinctly  to  its  function  at  the  same 
time,  and  also  the  face  to  conformity.  Hence  it  is 
manifest  that  the  like  to  what  was  said  of  the  natural 
forms  of  the  body,  is  to  be  said  of  the  spiritual  forms 
of  the  mind,  and  what  was  said  of  the  natural  ope- 
rations of  the  body,  is  to  be  said  of  the  spiritual  ope- 
rations of  the  mind  :  just  as  man  disposes  the  exter- 
nals, the  Lord  disposes  the  internals;  thus,  one  way, 
if  man  disposes  the  externals  from  himself,  and 
another,  if  he  disposes  the  externals  from  the  Lord, 
and  at  the  same  time  as  from  himself  The  mind  of 
man  is  also  in  all  form  a  man;  for  it  is  his  spirit, 
which  after  death  appears  a  man  altogether  as  in  the 
world ;  and  hence  there  are  like  things  in  both  :  and 
thus  what  was  said  concerning  the  conjunction  of 
externals  with  internals  in  the  body,  is  to  be  under- 
stood concerning  the  conjunction  of  externals  with 
internals  in  the  mind ;  with  the  difference  only,  that 
the  one  is  natural,  and  the  other  spiritual. 

182.  III.  That  if  man  manifestly  saw  the  Divine 
Providence,  he  woidd  either  deny  God,  or  make  him,- 
self  God  :  the  merely  natural  man  says  with  himself, 


168  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

What  is  the  Divine  Providence?  is  it  aught  else  or 
more  than  a  word  among  the  common  people  from  a 
priest?    who  sees  anything  of  it?    is  it  not  prudence, 
wisdom,  craftiness  and  malice,  from  which  all  things 
are  done  in  the  world?  are  not  the  rest  hence  necessi- 
ties and  consequences  ?  and  are  not  many  things  con- 
tingencies? does  the  Divine  Providence  lie  concealed 
in  these  ?  how  can  it  in  deceits  and  crafts  ?  and  yet 
it  is  said,  that  the   Divine   Providence   operates   all 
things :  make  me  therefore  see  it,  and  I  will  believe 
it;    can  any  one  believe  it  before?     So   speaks  the 
merely  natural   man ;  but  the  spiritual  man  speaks 
otherwise  :  the  latter,  because  he  acknowledges  God, 
also  acknowledges  the  Divine  Providence,   and  also 
sees  it :  but  he  cannot  manifest  it  to  any  one  who  does 
not  think  except  in  nature  from  nature ;  for  this  one 
cannot  elevate   the    mind   above   it,   and    see    in   its 
appearances  anything  of  the  Divine  Providence,   or 
draw  conclusions  concerning  it  from  its  laws,  which 
are  also  laws  of  the  Divine  Wisdom  ;  wherefore  if  he 
manifestly  saw  it,  he  would  infuse  it  into  nature,  and 
thus  not  only  veil  it  over  with  fallacies,  but  also  pro- 
fane it;  and   instead  of  acknowledging  it,  he  would 
deny  it ;  and  he  who  in  heart  denies  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, also  denies  God.     It  will  either  be  thought  that 
God  governs  all  things,  or  that  nature  does :  he  who 
thinks  that  God  governs  all  things,  thinks  that  love 
itself  and  wisdom  itself,  thus  life  itself,  does  ;  but  he 
who  thinks  that  nature  governs  all  things,  thinks  that 
natural  heat  and  natural  light  do;  which  yet  are  in 
themselves  dead,  because  from  a  dead  sun:  does  not 
what  is  living  itself  govern  what  is  dead?   can  what 
is   dead  govern   anything?  if  you  think  that  what  is 
dead  can  give  life  to  itself,  3^ou  are  insane;  life  must 
be  from  Life. 

183.  That  if  man  manifestly  saw  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence and  its  operation,  he  would  deny  God,  appears 
as  improbable ;  because  it  seems  that  if  any  one 
manifestly  saw  it,  he  could  not  do  otherwise  than 
acknowledge  it,  and  thus  God ;  but  still  it  is  the  con- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  169 

trary.  The  Divine  Providence  never  acts  together 
with  the  love  of  man's  will,  but  continually  against 
it :  for  man  from  his  hereditary  evil  always  pants 
after  the  lowest  hell ;  but  the  Lord  by  his  Providence 
continually  leads  him  back  and  draws  him  out  thence, 
first  to  a  milder  hell,  then  out  of  hell,  and  at  length  to 
Himself  into  heaven  :  this  operation  of  the  Divine 
Providence  is  perpetual ;  wherefore  if  man  manifestly 
saw  or  felt  this  drawing  or  leading  back,  he  would  be 
enraged,  and  hold  God  as  an  enemy,  and  from  the 
evil  of  his  proprium  would  deny  Him ;  wherefore,  lest 
man  should  know  this,  he  is  held  in  freedom,  from 
which  he  knows  no  otherwise  than  that  he  leads  him- 
self. But  let  examples  serve  for  illustration :  man, 
from  inheritance,  wishes  to  become  great,  and  also 
wishes  to  become  rich;  and  as  far  as  these  loves  are 
not  bridled,  he  wishes  to  become  greater  and  richer, 
and  at  length  the  greatest  and  the  richest ;  and  he 
would  not  then  be  at  rest,  but  would  wish  to  become 
greater  than  God  Himself,  and  to  possess  heaven  itself: 
this  hankering  lies  hid  most  interiorly  in  hereditary 
evil,  and  hence  in  man's  life  and  his  life's  nature. 
The  Divine  Providence  does  not  take  away  this  evil 
in  a  moment;  for,  if  it  took  it  away  in  a  moment, 
man  would  not  live  ;  but  it  takes  it  away  silently  and 
successively,  without  man's  knowing  anything  con- 
cerning it :  this  is  done  by  permitting  man  to  act 
according  to  thought  which  he  makes  of  reason,  and 
then  by  leading  him  back  by  various  means,  as  well 
by  rational  things  as  by  civil  and  moral  things  ;  and 
thus  he  is  led  back,  as  far  as  he  can  be  led  in  free- 
dom. Nor  can  evil  be  taken  away  from  any  one, 
unless  it  appears,  is  seen,  and  acknowledged :  it  is  as 
a  wound,  which  is  not  healed  unless  it  is  opened.  If 
therefore  man  knew  and  saw  that  the  Lord  by  His 
Divine  Providence  was  thus  operating  against  his 
life's  love,  from  which  he  has  his  greatest  delight,  he 
could  not  do  otherwise  than  run  counter  to  it,  grow 
angry,  join  issue,  say  hard  things,  and  at  length  from 
his  evil  remove  the  operation  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
15 


170  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

dence,  by  denying  it,  and  thus  God  ;  especially  if  he 
saw  that  his  success  was  withstood,  that  he  was  cast 
down  from  dignity,  and  deprived  of  opulence.  But 
it  is  to  be  known,  that  the  Lord  never  leads  man 
away  from  seeking  honors  and  from  acquiring  wealth; 
but  that  he  leads  him  away  from  the  desire  of  seeking 
honors  for  the  sake  of  eminence  alone,  or  for  the  sake 
of  himself;  in  like  manner  from  acquiring  wealth  for 
the  sake  of  opulence  alone,  or  for  the  sake  of  wealth  : 
but  when  he  leads  him  av.^ay  from  these,  he  intro- 
duces him  into  the  love  of  uses,  that  he  may  look  at 
eminence  not  for  the  sake  of  himself,  but  for  the  sake 
of  uses ;  thus  that  it  may  be  of  uses,  and  thence  of 
himself,  and  not  of  himself  and  thence  of  uses  :  in 
like  manner  opulence.  That  the  Lord  continually 
humbles  the  proud,  and  exalts  the  humble,  He  teaches 
in  many  places  in  the  Word  ;  and  that  which  He 
there  teaches  is  also  of  His  Divine  Providence. 

184.  The  like  happens  with  other  evil  in  which 
man  is  hereditarily,  as  with  adulteries,  frauds,  re- 
venges, blasphemies,  and  other  like  ones  ;  all  which 
can  no  otherwise  be  removed,  than  as  the  liberty  of 
thinking  and  willing  them  is  left,  and  that  man 
should  thus  remove  them  as  of  himself ;  which,  how- 
ever, he  cannot  do,  unless  he  acknowledges  the 
Divine  Providence,  and  implores  that  it  may  be  done 
through  it:  without  that  liberty  and  the  Divine 
Providence  at  the  same  time,  those  evils  would  be 
like  poison  kept  within  and  not  discharged,  which 
would  soon  spread  itself  around,  and  occasion  death 
in  all  parts  ;  and  they  would  be  like  the  disease  of 
the  heart  itself,  from  which  the  whole  body  soon  dies. 

185.  That  it  is  so,  cannot  better  be  known,  than 
from  men  after  death  in  the  spiritual  world ;  most  of 
those  there  \vho  have  become  great  and  opulent  in 
the  natural  world,  and  in  honors  have  looked  to  them- 
selves alone,  and  in  like  manner  in  riches,  in  the 
beginning  speak  concerning  God,  and  concerning  the 
Divine  Providence,  as  if  they  in  heart  acknowledged 
them :  but  because  they  then  manifestly  see  the  Di- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  171 

vine  Providence,  and  from  it  their  ultimate  lot,  which 
is  that  they  are  to  come  into  hell,  they  conjoin  them- 
selves with  the  devils  there,  and  then  not  only  deny, 
but  also  blaspheme  God  ;  and  then  they  come  into 
that  delirium  that  they  acknowledge  the  more  power- 
ful of  the  devils  for  their  gods,  and  strive  after  nothing 
more  ardently  than  that  they  also  may  become  gods. 

186.  That  man  would  run  counter  to  God,  and 
also  deny  Him,  if  he  manifestly  saw  the  operations  of 
His  Divine  Providence,  is  because  man  is  in  the  de- 
light of  his  love;  and  that  delight  makes  his  very  life: 
wherefore  when  man  is  held  in  the  delight  of  his  life, 
he  is  in  his  freedom  ;  for  freedom  and  that  delight 
make  one  :  if  therefore  he  perceived  that  he  was  con- 
tinually led  away  from  his  delight,  he  would  be  ex- 
asperated as  against  him  who  wished  to  destroy  his 
life,  and  would  hold  him  as  an  enemy :  lest  this 
should  take  place,  the  Lord  does  not  manifestly  appear 
m  His  Divine  Providence,  but  by  it  he  leads  man  as 
silently  as  a  hidden  stream  or  a  flowing  current  does 
a  ship  :  from  this  man  knows  no  otherwise  than  that 
he  is  continually  in  his  proprium,  for  freedom  makes 
one  with  proprium  :  hence  it  is  manifest,  that  freedom 
appropriates  to  man  that  which  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence introduces;  which  would  not  be  done,  if  it 
manifested  itself :  to  be  appropriated  is  to  become  of 
the  life. 

187.  IV.  That  it  is  give^i  to  man  to  see  the  Divine 
Providence  on  the  hack  and  not  in  the  face,  also  in  a 
spiritual  state,  and  not  in  his  natural  state  :  to  see  the 
Divine  Providence  on  the  back  and  not  in  the  face  is, 
after  it,  and  not  before  it ;  and  from  a  spiritual  state 
and  not  in  a  natural  state  is,  from  heaven  and  not 
from  the  world :  all  those  who  receive  influx  from 
heaven,  and  acknowledge  the  Divine  Providence,  and 
especially  those  who  by  reformation  have  become 
spiritual,  when  they  see  events  in  a  certain  wonder- 
ful series,  from  interior  acknowledgment  they  as  it 
were  see  it  and  confess  it :  these  do  not  wish  to  see  it 
in  the  face,  that  is,  before  it  exists  ;  for  they  fear  lest 


172  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

their  will  should  enter  into  something  of  its  order  and 
tenor.  It  is  otherwise  with  those  who  do  not  admit 
any  influx  from  heaven,  but  only  from  the  world; 
especially  those  who  from  the  confirmation  of  appear- 
ances with  themselves  have  become  natural :  these 
do  not  see  anything  of  the  Divine  Providence  on  the 
back  or  after  it,  but  wish  to  see  it  in  the  face,  or 
before  it  exists ;  and  because  the  Divine  Providence 
operates  through  means,  and  means  are  wrought 
through  man  or  through  the  world,  therefore,  whether 
they  see  it  in  the  face  or  on  the  back,  they  attribute 
it  either  to  man  or  to  nature,  and  so  confirm  them- 
selves in  the  denial  of  it.  The  reason  that  they  thus 
attribute  is  because  their  understanding  is  closed 
above,  and  only  open  below,  thus  closed  towards 
heaven  and  open  towards  the  world ;  and  to  see  the 
Divine  Providence  from  the  world  is  not  given,  but  to 
see  it  from  heaven  is  given.  I  have  sometimes 
thought  with  myself,  whether  they  would  acknowl- 
edge the  Divine  Providence,  if  their  understanding 
was  opened  above,  and  they  saw  as  in  clear  day,  that 
nature  in  itself  is  dead,  and  human  intelligence  in 
itself  is  nothing,  but  that  it  is  from  influx  that  both 
appear  to  be ;  and  I  have  perceived  that  those  who 
have  confirmed  themselves  in  favor  of  nature  and  of 
human  prudence,  would  not  acknowledge,  because 
natural  light  flowing  in  from  below  would  forthwith 
extinguish  the  spiritual  light  flowing  in  from  above. 

1S9.  The  man  who  has  become  spiritual  by  the 
acknowledgment  of  God,  and  wise  by  the  rejection 
of  proprium,  in  the  universal  world  and  in  all  and 
each  of  the  things  of  it  sees  the  Divine  Providence : 
if  he  looks  at  natural  things,  he  sees  it;  if  he  looks 
at  civil  things,  he  sees  it;  if  he  looks  at  spiritual 
things,  he  sees  it ;  and  this  as  well  in  the  simulta- 
neous as  in  the  successive  relations  of  things ;  he 
sees  it  in  ends,  in  causes,  in  eflects,  in  uses,  in  forms, 
in  things  great  and  small ;  especially  in  the  salvation 
of  men,  as  that  Jehovah  gave  the  Word,  taught  them 
by  it  concerning  God,  concerning  heaven  and  hell,  con- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  173 

cerning  eternal  life ;  and  that  He  came  into  the  world, 
that  He  might  redeem  and  save  men  :  these  and  more 
things,  and  the  Divine  Providence  in  them,  man  sees 
from  spiritual  light  in  natural  light.  But  the  merely- 
natural  man  sees  nothing  of  these  things  :  he  is  as  one 
who  sees  a  magnificent  temple,  and  hears  a  preacher 
illustrated  in  divine  things,  and  says  at  home,  that  he 
saw  nothing  but  a  stone  house,  and  heard  nothing  but 
an  articulate  sound ;  or  as  a  near-sighted  person,  who 
enters  a  garden  noted  for  fruits  of  every  kind,  and 
then  comes  home  and  relates  that  he  saw  only  a  forest 
and  trees :  such  also,  having  become  spirits  after 
death,  when  they  are  elevated  into  the  angelic  heaven, 
where  all  things  are  in  forms  representative  of  love 
and  wisdom,  do  not  see  anything,  not  even  that  they 
are ;  as  I  have  seen  done  with  many,  who  denied  the 
Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord. 

190.  There  are  many  constant  things,  which  were 
created  that  inconstant  things  might  exist :  the  con- 
stant things  are  the  stated  alternations  of  the  rising 
and  setting  of  the  sun  and  moon,  and  also  of  the  stars ; 
the  obscurations  of  them  from  interpositions,  which 
are  called  eclipses  ;  the  heat  and  light  from  them ;  the 
seasons  of  the  year,  which  are  called  spring,  summer, 
autumn  and  winter  ;  and  the  times  of  the  day,  which 
are  morning,  noon,  evening  and  night ;  also  the  at- 
mospheres, waters  and  earths  in  themselves  considered ; 
the  vegetative  faculty  in  the  vegetable  kingdom ;  and 
that,  and  also  the  prolific  faculty  in  the  animal  king- 
dom ;  also  the  things  which  take  place  constantly 
from  these,  when  they  are  put  into  act  according  to 
the  laws  of  order.  These  and  very  many  other  things 
are  from  creation,  being  provided  that  infinity  of 
varying  things  may  exist ;  for  varying  things  cannot 
exist  except  in  things  constant,  stated,  and  certain. 
But  let  these  things  be  illustrated  by  examples  :  the 
varyings  of  vegetation  would  not  be  given,  unless 
the  rising  and  setting  of  the  sun,  and  the  heat  and 
light  thence,  were  constant :  harmonies  are  of  infinite 
A^ariety ;  but  they  would  not  be  given,  unless  the 
15* 


174  ANGELIC   WISDOM    CONCERNING 

atmospheres  in  their  laws,  and  the  ears  in  their  form, 
were  constant :  the  varieties  of  sight,  which  are  also 
infinite,  would  not  be  given,  unless  the  ether  in  its 
laws,  and  the  eye  in  its  form,  were  constant ;  just  so 
colors,  unless  light  were  constant :  it  is  the  like  with 
the  thoughts,  speech,  and  actions,  which  also  are  of 
infinite  variety ;  and  which  would  not  be  given,  un- 
less the  organs  of  the  body  were  constant :  must  not 
a  house  be  constant,  that  various  things  may  be  done 
therein  by  man  7  in  like  manner  a  temple,  that  therein 
various  worship,  sermons,  instructions,  and  medita- 
tions of  piety,  may  exist :  so  in  the  rest.  As  regards 
the  varieties  themselves,  which  take  place  in  things 
constant,  fixed,  and  certain,  they  run  into  infinity, 
and  have  no  end ;  and  yet  there  is  never  given  one 
altogether  the  same  with  another  in  all  and  each  of 
the  things  in  the  u.niverse,  nor  can  be  given  in  suc- 
cessive things  to  eternity  :  who  disposes  these  varie- 
ties advancing  to  infinity  and  to  eternity,  that  they 
may  be  in  order,  except  He  who  created  constant 
things,  to  the  end  that  they  might  exist  in  them  7  and 
who  can  dispose  the  infinite  varieties  of  life  with  men, 
but  He  who  is  life  itself,  that  is,  love  itself  and  wisdom 
itself7  without  His  Divine  Providence,  which  is  like 
continual  creation,  could  the  infinite  affections  and 
thence  thoughts  of  men,  and  thus  men  themselves,  be 
disposed  that  they  should  make  a  one  7  the  evil  affec- 
tions and  thoughts  thence  one  devil,  who  is  hell,  and 
the  good  affections  and  thoughts  thence  one  Lord  in 
heaven :  that  the  universal  angelic  heaven  is  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord  as  one  man,  who  is  His  image  and 
likeness,  and  that  the  universal  hell  is  in  the  opposite 
as  one  man  monster,  has  been  often  said  and  shown 
before.  These  things  are  said,  because  some  natural 
men  also,  from  things  constant  and  fixed,  which  are 
necessities  for  the  sake  of  the  end  that  varying  things 
may  exist  in  them,  catch  at  arguments  of  their  de- 
lirium in  favor  of  nature  and  in  favor  of  one's  own 
prudence. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  175 


THAT  ONE  S  OWN  PRUDENCE  IS  NOTHING,  AND  ONLY  APPEARS 
TO  BE,  AND  ALSO  OUGHT  TO  APPEAR  AS  IF  IT  WAS  ;  BUT 
THAT  THE  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE  FROM  THINGS  MOST  PAR- 
TICULAR IS  UNIVERSAL. 

191.  That  one's  own  prudence  is  nothing,  is  alto- 
gether contrary  to  appearance,  and  hence  contrary  to 
the  behef  of  many  ;  and  because  it  is  so,  no  one,  who 
from  appearance  is  in  the  behef  that  human  prudence 
does  all  things,  can  be  convinced,  except  by  reasons 
of  deeper  investigation,  which  are  to  be  gathered  from 
causes :  that  appearance  is  an  elfect,  and  causes  dis- 
close whence  it  is.  In  this  introduction  something 
shall  be  said  concerning  the  common  belief  of  this 
thing :  contrary  to  appearance  is  this  which  the 
church  teaches,  that  love  and  faith  are  not  from  man 
but  from  God  ;  also  that  wisdom  and  intelligence,  thus 
also  prudence,  and  in  general  all  good  and  truth,  are : 
when  these  things  are  received,  it  must  also  be  re- 
ceived that  one's  own  prudence  is  nothing,  but  only 
appears  to  be :  prudence  is  from  nothing  else  but  in- 
telligence and  wisdom,  and  these  two  are  from  noth- 
ing else  but  the  understanding  and  thence  thought  of 
good  and  truth.  This  which  is  now  said  is  received 
and  believed  by  those  who  acknowledge  the  Divine 
Providence,  and  not  by  those  who  acknowledge  human 
prudence  alone.  Whether  now  will  this  be  true  which 
the  church  teaches,  that  all  wisdom  and  prudence  is 
from  God  ;  or  what  the  world  teaches,  that  all  wisdom 
and  prudence  is  from  man  ?  can  they  be  reconciled  in 
any  other  way,  than  that  that  which  the  church 
teaches  is  truth,  and  that  that  which  the  world  teaches 
is  an  appearance?  for  the  church  confirms  it  from 
the  Word,  but  the  world  from  proprium;  and  the 
Word  is  from  God,  and  proprium  is  from  man.  Since 
prudence  is  from  God,  and  not  from  man,  therefore  a 
christian  man,  when  he  is  in  devotion,  prays  that 
God  would  lead  his  thoughts,  counsels,  and  deeds ; 
and  also  adds,  because  he  cannot  of  himself:  also, 


176  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

when  he  sees  any  one  doing  good,  he  says  that  he 
was  led  to  it  by  God ;  and  many  like  things :  can 
any  one  so  speak,  unless  he  then  interiorly  believes 
it  ?  and  to  believe  it  interiorly  is  from  heaven ;  but 
when  he  is  thinking  with  himself,  and  collecting 
arguments  in  favor  of  human  prudence,  he  can  be- 
lieve the  contrary,  and  this  is  from  the  world :  but 
the  internal  belief  conquers  with  those  who  in  heart 
acknowledge  God,  and  the  external  belief  with  those 
who  do  not  in  heart  acknowledge  God,  however  they 
do  with  the  mouth. 

192.  It  was  said  that  no  one,  who  from  the  appear- 
ance is  in  the  belief  that  human  prudence  does  all 
things,  can  be  convinced  except  by  reasons  of  deeper 
investigation,  which  are  to  be  gathered  from  causes; 
wherefore,  that  reasons  gathered  from  causes  may  be 
manifest  Ijefore  the  understanding,  they  must  be  set 
in  their  order,  which  will  be  this.  I.  That  all  the 
thoughts  of  man  are  from  the  affections  of  his  life's 
love,  and  that  there  are  altogether  no  thoughts,  nor 
can  they  be  given,  without  them.  II,  That  the  affec- 
tions of  the  life's  love  of  man  are  known  to  the  Lord 
alone.  III.  That  the  affections  of  the  life's  love  of 
man  are  led  of  the  Lord  by  His  Divine  Providence, 
and  at  the  same  time  too  the  thoughts  from  which  is 
human  prudence.  IV.  That  the  Lord  by  His  Divine 
Providence  composes  the  affections  of  the  whole  hu- 
man race  into  one  form,  which  is  the  human.  V. 
That  hence  heaven  and  hell,  which  are  from  the 
human  race,  are  in  such  a  form.  VI.  That  they 
who  have  acknowledged  nature  alone  and  human 
prudence  alone,  make  hell ;  and  they  who  have 
acknowledged  God  and  His  Divine  Providence,  make 
heaven.  VII.  That  all  these  things  cannot  take 
place,  unless  it  appears  to  man  that  he  thinks  from 
himself  and  disposes  from  himself. 

193.  That  all  the  thonghts  of  man  are  from  the  af- 
fections of  his  lifers  love,  and  that  there  are  no  thoiights^ 
nor  can  they  he  given,  loithotit  them.  What  the  life's 
love   is,  and   what   the  affections  and   the  thoughts 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  177 

thence,  and  from  these  the  sensations  and  actions 
which  exist  in  the  body,  in  their  essence  are,  was 
shown  above  in  this  treatise,  and  also  in  that  which 
is  called  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Love 
AND  Divine  Wisdom,  in  particular  in  its  first  and  fifth 
parts  :  now  because  the  causes  are  thence,  from  which 
human  prudence  flows  forth  as  an  effect,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  some  things  should  be  here  also  adduced 
concerning  them;  for  the  things  which  are  Avritten  else- 
where cannot  be  connected  with  those  which  are  writ- 
ten after  them,  thus  continuously,  as  if  the  same  are 
recalled  and  placed  in  sight.  In  this  treatise  hereto- 
fore, and  in  that  mentioned  above  concerning  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  it  is  demonstrated 
that  in  the  Lord  there  is  divine  love  and  divine  wis- 
dom ;  and  that  these  two  are  life  itself,  and  that  from 
these  two  man  has  will  and  understanding ;  will  from 
the  divine  love,  and  understanding  from  the  divine 
wisdom;  and  that  to  these  two  the  heart  and  lungs  in 
the  body  correspond ;  and  that  it  may  hence  be  evi- 
dent, that  as  the  pulsation  of  the  heart  together  with 
the  respiration  of  the  lungs  governs  the  whole  man  as 
to  his  body,  so  the  will  together  with  the  understand- 
ing governs  the  whole  man  as  to  his  mind  :  and  that 
thus  there  are  two  principles  of  life  with  every  man, 
the  one  natural  and  the  other  spiritual ;  and  that  the 
natural  principle  of  life  is  the  pulse  of  the  heart,  and 
the  spiritual  principle  of  life  is  the  will  of  the  mind  ; 
and  that  each  adjoins  to  itself  a  mate  with  which  it 
cohabits,  and  with  which  it  performs  the  functions 
of  life  ;  and  that  the  heart  conjoins  to  itself  the  lungs, 
and  that  the  will  conjoins  to  itself  the  understanding. 
Now  because  the  soul  of  the  will  is  love,  and  the 
soul  of  the  understanding  is  wisdom,  both  from 
the  Lord,  it  follows  that  love  is  the  life  of  every 
one,  and  that  love  is  such  life  as  is  conjoined  to 
wisdom ;  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  that  the  will 
is  the  life  of  every  one,  and  that  this  is  such  life 
as  is  conjoined  to  the  understanding  ;  but  concerning 
these  things  more  may  be  seen  in  the  treatise  above, 


]78  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

and  especially  in  tlie  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  in  part  first  and 
part  fifth. 

194.  In  the  forenamed  treatises  it  is  also  demonstra- 
ted, that  the  life's  love  produces  from  itself  subaltern 
loves,  which  are  called  affections,  and  that  these  are 
exterior  and  interior ;  and  that  these  taken  together 
make  as  it  were  one  dominion  or  kingdom,  in  which  the 
life's  love  is  lord  or  king :  it  is  also  demonstrated  that 
these  subaltern  loves  or  affections  adjoin  to  themselves 
mates,  each  one  its  own ;  the  interior  affections  mates 
which  are  called  perceptions,  and  the  exterior  affec- 
tions mates  which  are  called  thoughts  ;  and  that  each 
cohabits,  and  engages  in  the  duties  of  its  life,  with  its 
mate;  and  that  such  is  the  conjunction  of  both,  as  is 
the  Being  of  life  with  the  Existing  of  life;  which  is 
such  that  the  one  is  not  anything,  unless  together  with 
the  other ;  for  what  is  the  Being  of  life,  unless  it  exists  7 
and  what  is  the  Existing  of  life,  unless  from  the  Being 
of  life  ?  also  that  such  is  the  conjunction  of  life,  as  is 
that  of  sound  and  harmony  ;  and  that  of  sound  and 
harmony  is  such  in  general  as  is  that  of  the  pulsation 
of  the  heart  and  of  the  respiration  of  the  lungs ;  which 
conjunction  is  such  that  the  one  without  the  other  is 
not  anything,  and  that  the  one  becomes  something  by 
conjunction  with  the  other.  There  must  either  be 
conjunctions  in  them,  or  they  must  take  place  by  them  : 
as  for  example,  sound ;  he  who  supposes  that  sound 
is  anything,  unless  there  is  in  it  what  distinguishes, 
is  deceived :  sound  also  corresponds  to  affection  with 
man;  and  because  there  is  always  something  in  it 
Avhich  distinguishes,  therefore  from  the  sound  of  a 
man  speaking  is  known  the  affection  of  his  love  ;  and 
from  the  variation  of  it,  which  is  speech,  is  known  his 
thought :  hence  it  is,  tliat  the  wiser  angels  from  the 
sound  of  one  speaking  only  perceive  his  life's  loves, 
together  with  certain  affections,  which  are  derivations. 
These  things  are  said,  that  it  may  be  known,  that  af- 
fection is  not  given  without  its  thought,  nor  thought 
without  its  affection  :  but  more  concerning  these  things 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  179 

may  be  seen  above  in  this  treatise,  and  in  the  Angelic 
Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine 
Wisdom. 

195,  Now  because  the  life's  love  has  its  delight, 
and  its  wisdom  has  its  pleasantness,  in  like  manner 
every  aftection  which  in  its  essence  is  a  subaltern  love 
derived  from  the  life's  love,  as  a  brook  from  its  spring, 
or  as  a  branch  from  its  tree,  and  as  an  artery  from  its 
heart,  wherefore  every  affection  has  its  delight,  and 
perception  and  thought  thence  their  pleasure ;  hence 
it  follows,  that  these  delights  and  pleasantnesses  make 
the  life  of  man :  what  is  life  without  delight  and  pleas- 
antness ?  it  is  not  anything  animate,  but  inanimate: 
diminish  them,  and  you  will  grow  cold  or  torpid;  and 
take  them  away,  and  you  will  expire  and  die :  from 
the  delights  of  the  affections,  and  the  pleasantnesses 
of  the  perceptions  and  thoughts,  is  vital  heat.  Since 
every  affection  has  its  delight,  and  thought  thence  its 
pleasantness,  it  may  be  evident  whence  is  good  and 
truth,  also  what  good  and  truth  in  their  essence  are : 
good  to  every  one  is  what  the  delight  of  his  affection 
is,  and  truth  is  what  the  pleasantness  of  his  thought 
thence  is :  for  every  one  calls  that  good,  which  from 
the  love  of  his  will  he  feels  as  delightful  •,  and  he  calls 
that  truth,  which  from  the  wisdom  of  his  understand- 
ing he  perceives  to  be  pleasant  thence  :  both  flow  from 
the  life's  love,  as  water  from  a  spring,  or  as  blood 
from  the  heart :  both  taken  together  are  as  a  wave  or 
an  atmosphere,  in  which  the  whole  human  mind  is. 
These  two  things,  delight  and  pleasantness,  in  the  mind 
are  spiritual,  but  in  the  body  they  are  natural  ;in  both 
they  make  the  life  of  man  :  from  these  things  it  is  man- 
ifest, what  it  is  with  man  which  is  called  good,  and 
what  it  is  which  is  called  truth  :  and  also  what  it  is 
with  man  which  is  called  evil,  and  which  is  called  false; 
namely,  that  that  is  evil  to  him,  which  destroys  the  de- 
light of  his  affection;  and  that  is  false,  which  destroys 
the  pleasantness  of  his  thought  thence;  and  that  evil 
from  its  delight,  and  falsity  from  its  pleasantness,  may 
be  called  and  believed  good  and  true.    Goods  and  truths 


180  AN(JELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

are  indeed  the  changes  and  variations  of  the  state  of 
the  forms  of  the  mind,  but  these  are  perceived  and  Hve 
solely  by  means  of  their  delights  and  pleasantnesses. 
These  things  are  adduced  that  it  may  be  known 
what  affection  and  thought  in  their  life  are. 

196.  Now  because  it  is  the  mind  of  man  which 
thinks,  and  thinks  from  the  delight  of  its  affection, 
and  not  the  body  ;  and  because  the  mind  of  man  is 
his  spirit,  which  lives  after  death  ;  it  follows  that  the 
spirit  of  man  is  nothing  but  affection  and  thence 
thought.  That  there  cannot  be  given  any  thought 
without  affection,  manifestly  appears  from  spirits  and 
angels  in  the  spiritual  world,  because  all  there  think 
from  the  affections  of  their  life's  love,  and  because  the 
delight  of  these  presses  around  every  one,  as  his  at- 
mosphere; and  because  according  to  these  spheres 
exhaled  from  their  affections  through  their  thoughts, 
all  there  are  conjoined  :  every  one  also  from  the 
sphere  of  his  life  is  known  as  to  quality.  From  these 
things  it  may  be  evident  that  all  thought  is  from  affec- 
tion, and  that  it  is  the  form  of  its  affection.  It  is  the  like 
with  the  will  and  understanding;  and  it  is  the  like  with 
good  and  (ruth  ;  and  the  like  with  charity  and  faith. 

197.  II.  That  the  affections  of  the  lifers  love  of  ma7i 
are  known  to  the  JLord  alone.  Man  knows  his 
thoughts,  and  thence  intentions,  because  he  sees  them 
in  himself;  and  because  all  prudence  is  from  them,  he 
also  sees  that  in  himself:  if  then  his  life's  love  is  the 
love  of  self,  he  comes  into  the  pride  of  his  own  intel- 
ligence, and  ascribes  prudence  to  himself;  and  he  col- 
lects arguments  in  favor  of  it,  and  thus  recedes  from 
the  acknowledgment  of  the  Divine  Providence :  the 
like  takes  place  if  the  love  of  the  world  is  his  life's  love  ; 
but  still  tliis  does  not  recede  to  such  a  degree :  from 
which  it  is  manifest,  that  these  two  loves  ascribe  all 
things  to  man  and  his  prudence;  and  nothing  to  God 
and  His  Providence,  if  they  are  explored  interiorly  : 
wherefore  when  by  chance  they  hear  that  it  is  the 
truth  that  human  prudence  is  nothing,  but  that  it  is 
the  Divine  Providence  alone  which  governs  all  things, 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  181 

if  they  are  altogether  atheists,  they  laugh  at  it;  but  if 
the)^  retain  anything  from  religion  in  memory,  and  it 
is  said  to  them  that  all  wisdom  is  from  God,  they 
indeed  aflirm  it  at  the  first  hearing,  but  still  within  in 
their  spirit  deny  it.  Such  especially  are  priests,  who 
love  themselves  above  God,  and  the  world  above  hea- 
ven; or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  who  worship  God  for 
the  sake  of  honors  and  gains,  and  still  have  preached 
that  charity  and  faith,  all  good  and  truth,  also  all 
wisdom,  yea,  prudence,  are  from  God,  and  nothing 
from  men.  Once  in  the  spiritual  world  I  heard  two 
priests  disputing  Vi^ith  a  certain  ambassador  of  a  king- 
dom concerning  human  prudence,  whether  it  is  from 
God  or  from  man  ;  the  dispute  was  ardent  :  the  three 
believed  alike  in  heart,  namely,  that  human  prudence 
does  all  things,  and  the  Divine  Providence  nothing  : 
but  the  priests,  who  were  then  in  theological  zeal, 
said  that  nothing  of  wisdom  and  prudence  is  from 
man  ;  and  when  the  ambassador  retorted  that  thus 
neither  is  anything  of  thought,  they  said  that  nothing 
was  :  and  because  it  was  perceived  by  the  angels 
that  the  three  were  in  a  like  belief,  it  was  said  to  the 
ambassador  of  the  kingdom,  Put  on  the  garments  of  a 
priest,  and  believe  that  you  are  a  priest,  and  then 
speak  :  he  put  them  on  and  believed  so  ;  and  then 
spoke  aloud,  that  nothing  of  wisdom  and  prudence 
could  ever  be  given  in  man,  unless  from  God ;  and  he 
defended  it  with  his  accustomed  eloquence  full  of 
rational  arguments  :  and  afterwards  it  was  said  to  the 
two  priests,  Put  off  your  garments,  and  put  on  the 
garments  of  political  ministers,  and  believe  that  ye  are 
such  ;  and  they  did  so,  and  then  at  the  same  time  they 
thought  from  their  interior  selves,  and  spoke  from  the 
arguments  which  they  had  cherished  before  in  favor  of 
human  prudence  against  the  Divine  Providence  :  after- 
wards the  three,  because  they  were  in  a  like  belief, 
became  bosom  friends,  and  at  the  same  time  entered 
the  way  of  their  own  prudence,  which  tends  to  hell. 

198.    It  was  shown  above,  that  there  is  given  no 
thought  of  man,  unless  from  some  affection  of  his  life's 
16 


]82  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

love,  and  that  thought  is  nothing  else  but  the.  form  of 
affection  :  since  therefore  man  sees  his  thoughts,  and 
cannot  see  his  affection,  for  this  he  feels,  it  follows 
that  it  is  from  sight,  which  is  in  appearance,  that  he 
determines  that  one's  own  prudence  does  all  things  ; 
and  not  from  affection,  which  does  not  come  into 
sight,  but  into  sense  :  for  affection  manifests  itself  only 
by  a  certain  delight  of  thought  and  pleasure  of  reason- 
ing concerning  it,  and  then  this  pleasure  and  delight 
make  one  with  the  thought  with  those  who  are  in  the 
belief  of  one's  own  prudence  from  the  love  of  self  or 
from  the  love  of  the  world  ;  and  thought  flows  in  its 
delight,  as  a  ship  in  the  current  of  a  stream,  to  which 
the  helmsman  does  not  attend,  but  only  to  the  sails 
which  he  spreads. 

199.  Man  can  indeed  reflect  upon  the  delight  of 
his  external  affection,  provided  this  acts  as  one  with 
the  delight  of  some  sense  of  the  body  ;  but  still  he 
does  not  reflect  upon  this,  that  that  delight  is  from  the 
delight  of  his  aftection  in  thought :  as,  for  example, 
when  a  whoremonger  sees  a  harlot,  the  sight  of  his 
eye  glistens  from  the  fire  of  lasciviousness,  and  from 
it  he  feels  delight  in  the  body;  but  yet  he  does  not 
feel  the  delight  of  his  affection  or  concupiscence  in 
thought,  except  something  of  desire  together  with  the 
body:  in  like  manner  a  robber  in  a  forest,  when  he 
sees  travellers ;  and  a  pirate  at  sea,  when  he  sees 
ships;  and  alike  in  the  rest:  that  these  delights 
govern  his  thoughts,  and  that  the  thoughts  are  no- 
thing withont  them,  is  manifest;  but  he  thinks  that 
they  are  only  thoughts,  when  yet  they  are  not 
thoughts,  except  as  affections  composed  into  forms 
from  his  life's  love,  that  they  may  appear  in  the  light; 
for  all  affection  is  in  heat,  and  thought  in  light. 
These  are  the  external  affections  of  thought,  which 
indeed  manifest  themselves  in  the  sensation  of  the 
body,  but  rarely  in  the  thought  of  the  mind.  But  the 
internal  affections  of  thought,  from  which  the  external 
exist,  never  manifest  themselves  before  man  :  con- 
cerning these  man   knows  no  more  than  one  sleep- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  183 

ing  in  a  carriage  does  concerning  the  road,  and  no 
more  than  he  feels  the  circumrotation  of  the  earth : 
now  since  man  knows  nothing  concerning  the  things 
which  are  carried  on  in  the  interiors  of  his  mind, 
which  are  so  infinite  that  they  cannot  be  determined 
by  numbers  ;  and  yet  the  few  external  things  which 
come  down  to  the  sight  of  the  thought  are  produced 
from  the  interiors,  and  the  interiors  are  governed  by 
the  Lord  alone  through  His  Divine  Providence,  and 
these  few  externals  are  together  with  man,  how  then 
can  any  one  say  that  his  own  prudence  does  all 
things  7  If  you  saw  only  one  hidden  idea  of  thought, 
you  would  see  stupendous  things  more  than  the 
tongue  can  tell.  That  in  the  interiors  of  man's  mind 
there  are  things  so  infinite,  that  they  cannot  be  deter- 
mined by  numbers,  is  manifest  from  tlie  infinite  things 
in  the  body,  from  which  nothing  comes  down  to  the 
sight  and  to  sense,  but  action  alone  in  much  simpli- 
city ;  in  which,  however,  concur  thousands  of  things  in 
the  moving  or  muscular  fibres;  thousands  in  the  nerv- 
ous fibres;  thousands  in  the  sanguineous  vessels; 
thousands  in  the  lungs,  which  last  cooperate  in  every 
action ;  thousands  in  the  brains  and  the  dorsal  spine  ; 
and  many  more  still  in  the  spiritual  man,  which  is 
the  human  mind,  all  things  of  which  are  forms  of 
affections,  and  thence  of  perceptions  and  thoughts. 
Does  not  the  soul,  which  disposes  the  interiors,  dis- 
pose also  the  actions  from  them  7  the  soul  of  man  is 
nothing  else  but  the  love  of  his  will,  and  thence  the 
love  of  his  understanding :  as  is  this  love,  such  is  the 
whole  man  ;  and  he  becomes  such  according  to  dispo- 
sition in  externals,  in  which  man  is  together  with  the 
Lord  :  wherefore  if  he  attributes  all  things  to  himself 
and  to  nature,  the  love  of  self  becomes  the  soul,  but 
if  he  attributes  all  things  to  the  Lord,  the  love  of  the 
Lord  becomes  the  soul  :  and  the  latter  love  is  heaven- 
ly, and  the  former  love  infernal. 

200.  Now  because  the  delights  of  man's  afifections 
from  things  inmost  through  the  interiors  to  the  exteri- 
ors, and  at  length  to  the  extremes,  which  are  in  the 


184  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

body,  carry  man  as  the  waves  and  the  atmosphere  do 
a  ship,  and  nothing  of  them  appears  to  man,  except 
what  is  ill  the  extremes  of  the  mind  and  the  extremes 
of  the  body,  how  then  can  man  claim  to  himself  what  is 
divine  from  this  alone,  that  these  few  extremes  appear 
to  him  as  his  7  and  still  less  ought  he  to  claim  to  him- 
self what  is  divine,  when  he  knows  from  the  Word, 
that  man  cannot  take  anything  of  himself,  unless  it  is 
given  to  him  from  heaven  ;  and  from  Reason,  that  that 
appearance  is  given  to  him  that  he  may  live  a  man, 
see  what  is  good  and  evil,  choose  the  one  or  the  other, 
appropriate  to  himself  that  which  he  chooses,  that  he 
may  be  reciprocally  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  be  reform- 
ed, regenerated,  saved,  and  live  to  eternity.  That 
that  appearance  is  given  to  man,  that  he  may  act 
from  freedom  according  to  reason,  thus  as  of  himself, 
and  not  slacken  his  hand,  and  wait  for  influx,  was 
said  and  shown  above.  From  these  things  follows  as 
confirmed  that  which  was  to  be  demonstrated  thirdly, 
Tkat  the  affections  of  the  life's  love  of  man  are  led  of 
the  Lord  by  His  Divine  Providence,  and  then  at  the 
same  tim,e  the  thoughts^  frmn  which  is  hum,an  pru- 
dence. 

201.  IV.  That  ilie  Lord  by  His  Divine  Providence 
composes  the  affections  into  one  form,  2vhich  is  the 
human.  That  this  is  a  universal  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence will  be  seen  in  a  subsequent  section  :  they  who 
ascribe  all  things  to  nature,  also  ascribe  all  things  to 
human  prudence  ;  for  they  who  ascribe  all  things  to 
nature,  in  heart  deny  God;  and  they  who  ascribe  all 
things  to  human  prudence,  in  heart  deny  the  Divine 
Providence:  the  one  is  not  separated  from  the  other. 
But  still  the  latter  and  the  former,  for  the  sake  of  the 
fame  of  their  name,  and  lor  fear  of  the  loss  of  it,  carry 
in  the  mouth  that  the  Divine  Providence  is  nniversal, 
and  that  the  particulars  of  it  are  with  man  ;  and  that 
these  particulars  are  understood  in  the  aggregate  by 
human  prudence.  But  think  with  yourself,  what  is  a 
universal  Providence,  when  the  particulars  are  sepa- 
rated? is  it  anything  else  but  a  word  alone?  for  that 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  185 

is  called  a  universal  which  at  the  same  time  is  made 
up  of  particulars,  like  a  general  thing  which  exists 
from  particulars :  if  therefore  you  separate  particu- 
lars, what  then  is  the  universal,  unless  as  something 
which  is  empty  within ;  thus  as  a  surface  within 
which  there  is  nothing,  or  an  aggregate  in  which  there 
is  not  anything?  If  it  were  said,  that  the  Divine 
Providence  is  a  universal  government,  and  that 
nothing  is  governed,  but  is  only  held  together  in  con- 
nection, and  that  those  things  which  are  of  govern- 
ment are  disposed  by  others,  can  this  be  called  a  uni- 
versal government  ?  No  king  has  such  a  government ; 
for  if  any  king  should  give  to  his  subjects  to  govern 
all  things  of  his  kingdom,  he  wouid  no  longer  be  king, 
but  would  only  be  called  king;  thus  would  only  have 
the  dignity  of  a  name,  and  not  the  dignity  of  any  real- 
ity :  with  such  a  king  government  cannot  be  predica- 
ted, still  less  universal  government.  Providence  with 
God  is  called  prudence  with  man  ;  as  there  cannot  be 
said  to  be  universal  prudence  with  a  king  who  has 
reserved  to  himself  no  more  than  the  name,  in  order 
that  the  kingdom  may  be  called  a  kingdom,  and  thus 
be  held  together;  so  there  cannot  be  said  to  be  a  uni- 
versal Providence,  if  men  provided  all  things  from  their 
own  prudence.  It  is  the  like  with  the  name  of  a  univer- 
sal Providence  as  of  a  universal  government,  when- 
ever it  is  spoken  of  nature,  when  it  is  understood  that 
God  created  the  universe,  and  endowed  nature  that  it 
should  produce  all  these  things  from  itself:  what  then 
is  universal  Providence,  but  a  metaphysical  word, 
which  is  not  an  entity  beyond  a  word?  There  are 
also  many  of  those  who  attribute  to  nature  everything 
which  is  produced,  and  to  human  prudence  every- 
thing which  takes  place,  and  yet  say  with  the  mouth 
that  God  created  nature;  who  think  no  otherwise  con- 
cerning the  Divine  Providence  than  as  of  an  empty 
word.  But  the  reality  is  such  in  itself,  that  the  Divine 
Providence  is  in  the  most  particular  things  of  nature, 
and  in  the  most  particular  things  of  human  prudence; 
and  that  from  them  it  is  universal. 
16* 


186  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

202.  The  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  is  univer- 
sal from  things  most  particnlar  in  this,  that  it  created 
the  universe,  that  in  it  an  infinite  and  eternal  creation 
might  exist  from  Him;  and  this  creation  exists,  that 
through  it  the  Lord  might  form  a  heaven  from  men, 
which  should  be  before  Him  as  one  man,  who  is  an 
image  and  likeness  of  Him  :  that  heaven  from  men  is 
such  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  that  this  was  ihe 
end  of  creation,  is  shown  above,  n.  27  to  45  :  and  that 
the  Divine,  in  everything  which  it  does,  looks  at  the 
infinite  and  the  eternal,  n.  56  to  69.  The  infinite  and 
the  eternal,  which  the  Lord  looks  at  in  forming  his 
heaven  from  men,  is  that  it  may  be  enlarged  to  mfin- 
ity  and  to  eternity;  and  thus  that  He  may  constantly 
dwell  in  the  end  of  His  creation.  This  is  the  infinite 
and  eternal  creation  which  the  Lord  provides  by  the 
creation  of  the  universe,  and  He  is  constantly  in  that 
creation  by  His  Divine  Providence.  Who,  that  knows 
and  believes  from  the  doctrine  of  the  church,  that  God 
is  infinite  and  eternal,  (/or  iV  is  in  the  doctrine  of  all  the 
churches  in  the  christian  world,  that  God  the  Father, 
God  the  Son,  and  God  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  infinite,  eter- 
nal, uncreated,  oninipotent :  see  the  Athanasian  Creed,^ 
can  be  so  destitute  of  reason,  as  not  to  affirm  when  he 
hears  it,  that  He  cannot  do  otherwise  than  look  at  the 
infinite  and  the  eternal  in  the  great  work  of  his  crea- 
tion ?  what  else  can  He  do,  when  He  acts  from  Him- 
self? also  that  He  looks  at  this  in  the  human  race, 
from  which  He  forms  that  heaven  of  His.  What  else 
then  can  the  Divine  Providence  have  for  end,  but  the 
reformation  of  the  human  race  and  its  salvation?  and 
no  one  can  be  reformed  of  himself  by  his  own  pru- 
dence, but  of  the  Lord  by  His  Divine  Providence; 
hence  it  follows,  that  unless  the  Lord  leads  man  every 
moment  even  the  most  minute,  man  would  recede  from 
the  way  of  reformation  and  perish  :  every  change  and 
variation  of  state  of  the  human  mind,  changes  and 
varies  something  in  the  series  of  things  present,  and 
thence  of  the  things  following :  what  is  not  progress- 
ive to  eternity  ?  it  is  like  a  weapon  discharged  from  a 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  187 

bow,  which,  if  at  starting  it  declines  in  the  sHghtest  de- 
gree from  the  mark,  would  decline  immensely  at  the  dis- 
tance of  a  mile  and  more :  so  it  would  be,  if  the  Lord 
did  not  lead  the  states  of  human  minds,  every  most 
minute  moment.  This  the  Lord  does  according  to  the 
laws  of  His  Divine  Providence ;  according  to  which 
also  it  is,  that  it  appears  to  man  as  if  he  led  himself; 
but  the  Lord  foresees  how  he  leads  himself,  and  con- 
tinually accommodates.  That  the  laws  of  permission 
are  also  laws  of  the  Divine  Providence ;  and  that 
every  man  may  be  reformed  and  regenerated :  and 
that  there  is  not  given  anything  predestinated,  will  be 
seen  in  what  follows. 

203.  Since  therefore  every  man  after  death  lives  to 
eternity,  and  according  to  his  life  is  allotted  a  place  in 
heaven  or  hell,  and  both,  as  well  heaven  as  hell,  must 
be  in  a  form  which  acts  as  one,  as  was  said  before ; 
and  no  one  in  that  form  can  be  allotted  any  other 
place  than  his  own  ;  it  follows  that  the  human  race  in 
the  whole  habitable  world  is  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Lord,  and  that  every  one,  from  infancy  even  to  the  end 
of  his  life,  is  led  by  Him  in  things  the  most  particular, 
and  that  his  place  is  foreseen  and  at  the  same  time 
provided.  From  which  things  it  is  manifest,  that  the 
Divine  Providence  is  universal,  because  it  is  in  the 
most  particular  things;  and  that  this  is  the  infinite 
and  eternal  creation  which  the  Lord  provided  for 
Himself  by  the  creation  of  the  universe.  Concerning 
this  universal  Providence  man  sees  nothing;  and  if 
he  did  see,  it  could  not  appear  otherwise  before  his 
eyes  than  as  the  scattered  heaps  and  accumulated 
piles,  from  which  a  house  is  to  be  formed,  appear  to 
those  that  pass  by :  but  to  the  Lord,  as  a  magnificent 
palace  continually  in  its  construction,  and  in  its  ampli- 
fications. 

204.  V.  That  heaven  and  hell  are  in  snch  a  form. 
That  heaven  is  in  the  human  form,  is  made  known  in 
the  work  Concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  published  in 
London  in  17.58,  n.  59  to  102;  and  also  in  the  treatise 
concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom;  and 


188  ANGELIO    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

also  several  times  in  this  treatise ;  wherefore  I  forbear 
to  confirm  it  further.  It  is  said  that  hell  also  is  in 
the  human  form,  but  it  is  in  a  monstrous  human  form, 
such  as  the  devil  is  in ;  by  whom  is  understood  hell 
in  the  whole  aggregate;  it  is  in  the  human  form, 
because  they  who  are  there  were  also  born  men,  and 
have  also  those  two  human  faculties  which  are  called 
liberty  and  rationality;  although  they  have  abused 
liberty  to  the  willing  and  doing  of  evil,  and  rationality 
to  the  thinking  and  confirming  of  it. 

205.  VI.  2Viat  they  who  have  acknowledged  nature 
alone  and  human  jjrudence  alone^  make  hell ;  and  they 
who  have  acknowledged  God  and  His  Divine  Provi- 
de?ice,  'make  heaven.  All  who  pass  an  evil  life,  interi- 
orly acknowledge  nature  and  human  prudence  alone; 
the  acknowledgment  of  these  lies  hid  within  in  all 
evil,  however  it  is  veiled  around  by  goods  and  truths: 
these  are  only  borrowed  garments,  or  as  garlands  of 
flowerets  which  perish,  put  around  lest  the  evil  appear 
in  its  nakedness.  That  all  who  pass  an  evil  life  inte- 
riorly acknowledge  nature  alone  and  human  prudence 
alone,  from  that  general  circumveiling  is  not  known, 
for  by  it  this  is  concealed  from  sight:  but  that  they 
still  aclvuowledge  them,  may  be  evident  from  the  ori- 
gin and  cause  of  the  acknowledgment  of  them  ;  and 
that  this  may  be  disclosed,  it  shall  be  told  whence  and 
what  one's  own  prudence  is;  next,  whence  and 
what  the  Divine  Providence  is;  afterwards,  who  and 
what  persons  the  former  and  the  latter  are ;  and  at 
length,  that  they  who  acknowledge  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence are  in  heaven,  and  they  who  acknowledge  one's 
own  prudence  are  in  hell. 

206.  Whence  and  what  one's  own  prudence  is :  it 
is  from  the  proprium  of  man,  which  is  his  nature,  and 
is  called  his  soul  from  his  parent :  this  proprium  is  the 
love  of  self,  and  thence  the  love  of  the  world ;  or  the 
love  of  the  world,  and  thence  the  love  of  self:  the 
love  of  self  is  such,  that  it  regards  itself  alone,  and 
others  either  as  vile  or  as  nothing :  if  it  regards  some 
as  anything,  it  is  as  long  as  they  honor  and  worship 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE  189 

it :  inmostly  in  that  love,  as  the  endeavor  of  fructify- 
ing and  prohficating  in  seed,  there  lies  hid,  that  it 
wishes  to  become  great;  and  if  it  can,  to  become  a 
king ;  and  if  it  then  can,  to  become  a  god  :  such  is 
the  devil,  because  he  is  the  very  love  of  self:  he  is 
such,  that  he  adores  himself,  and  favors  no  one,  unless 
he  also  adores  him:  another  devil  like  to  himself  he 
holds  in  hatred,  because  he  wishes  to  be  adored  alone. 
Since  there  cannot  be  given  any  love  without  its  mate, 
and  the  mate  of  love  or  of  the  will  in  man  is  called 
the  understanding,  when  the  love  of  self  inspires  its 
love  into  its  mate  the  understanding,  it  then  becomes 
pride,  which  is  the  pride  of  one's  own  intelligence ; 
hence  is  one's  own  prudence.  Now  because  the  love 
of  self  wishes  to  be  the  only  lord  of  the  world,  thus 
also  a  god,  therefore  the  concupiscences  of  evil,  which 
are  derivations  of  it,  have  life  in  themselves  from  it ; 
in  like  manner  the  perceptions  of  the  concupiscences, 
which  are  craftinesses ;  in  like  manner  too  the  delights 
of  the  concupiscences,  which  are  evils ;  and  the 
thoughts  of  these,  which  are  falsities  :  all  things  are 
like  servants  and  ministers  of  their  lord,  and  act  at  his 
every  nod,  not  knowing  that  they  do  not  act,  but  that 
they  are  acted  upon  :  they  are  acted  upon  by  the  love 
of  self  through  the  pride  of  one's  own  intelligence : 
hence  it  is,  that  one's  own  prudence  lies  hid  in  every 
evil  from  its  origin.  That  there  also  lies  hid  the 
acknowledgment  of  nature  alone,  is  because  it  has 
closed  up  the  window  of  its  roof,  through  which 
heaven  lies  open  ;  and  also  the  windows  of  the  sides, 
lest  it  should  see  and  hear  that  the  Lord  alone  governs 
all  things,  and  that  nature  in  itself  is  dead,  and  that 
the  proprium  of  man  is  hell,  and  hence  the  love  of 
proprium  is  the  devil ;  and  then,  the  windows  being 
closed,  it  is  in  darkness,  and  makes  there  a  fire  for 
itself,  to  which  it  sits  down  with  its  mates,  and 
they  reason  in  a  friendly  manner  in  favor  of  nature 
against  God,  and  in  favor  of  one's  own  prudence 
against  the  Divine  Providence. 

207.    Whence  and  what  the  Divine  Providence  is : 


190  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

it  is  the  divine  operation  with  the  man  who  has 
removed  the  love  of  self;  for  the  love  of  self,  as  was 
before  said,  is  the  devil;  and  the  concupiscences  and 
their  delights  are  the  evils  of  his  kingdom,  which  is 
hell :  which  being  removed,  the  Lord  enters  with  the 
affections  of  the  love  of  the  neighbor,  and  opens  the 
window  of  his  roof,  and  then  the  windows  of  the 
sides,  and  causes  him  to  see  that  there  is  a  heaven, 
that  there  is  a  life  after  death,  and  that  there  is  eter- 
nal happiness  ;  and  by  the  spiritual  light  and  at  the 
same  time  the  spiritual  love  then  flowing  in,  makes 
him  acknowledge  that  God  governs  all  things  by 
His  Divine  Providence. 

208.  Who  and  of  what  quality  the  former  and  the 
latter  are :  they  who  acknowledge  God,  and  His 
Divine  Providence,  are  as  the  angels  of  heaven,  who 
loathe  to  be  led  of  themselves,  and  love  to  be  led  of 
the  Lord  :  an  evidence  that  they  are  led  of  the  Lord 
is  that  they  love  the  neighbor.  But  they  who  ac- 
knowledge nature  and  their  own  prudence,  are  as  the 
spirits  of  hell,  who  loathe  to  be  led  of  the  Lord,  and 
love  to  be  led  of  themselves :  who,  if  they  have  been 
the  great  men  of  the  kingdom,  wish  to  rule  over  all 
things  :  in  like  manner  if  they  have  been  primates  of 
the  church  :  if  they  have  been  judges,  they  pervert 
judgments,  and  exercise  dominion  over  the  laws :  if 
they  have  been  learned,  they  apply  scientifics  to  con- 
firming the  proprium  of  man  and  nature  :  if  they  have 
been  men  of  business,  they  act  as  robbers:  if  they 
have  been  husbandmen,  they  act  as  thieves.  All  are 
enemies  of  God,  and  scoffers  of  the  Divine  Providence. 

209.  It  is  wonderful  that,  when  heaven  is  opened 
to  such,  and  it  is  said  that  they  are  insane,  and  this 
too  is  manifested  to  their  very  perception,  which  is 
done  by  influx  and  illustration,  still  out  of  indignation 
they  shut  up  heaven  to  themselves,  and  look  upon 
the  earth,  under  which  is  their  hell :  this  takes  place 
with  those  in  the  spiritual  world,  who  are  still  out  of 
hell,  and  are  such  :  from  which  is  manifest  the  error 
of  those,  who  think,  If  I  should  see  heaven,  and  hear 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  191 

the  angels  talking  with  me,  I  should  acknowledge  ; 
but  their  understanding  acknowledges,  yet  if  the  will 
does  not  at  the  same  time,  still  they  do  not  acknowl- 
edge :  for  the  love  of  the  will  inspires  into  the  under- 
standing whatever  it  wills,  and  not  the  reverse ;  yea, 
it  destroys  everything  in  the  understanding  which  is 
not  from  itself. 

210.  VII.  That  all  these  things  could  not  he  done^ 
imless  it  appeared  to  man  that  he  thinks  from  himself 
and  disposes  from  himself.  That  unless  it  appeared 
to  man  as  if  he  lived  from  himself,  and  thus  that 
he  thought  and  willed,  spoke  and  acted  as  from 
himself,  man  would  not  be  man,  has  been  fully 
demonstrated  in  what  precedes :  from  which  it  fol- 
lows, that  unless  man  disposed  of  all  things  which 
are  of  his  function  and  life  as  from  his  own  prudence, 
he  could  not  be  led  and  disposed  from  the  Divine 
Providence ;  for  he  would  be  like  one  Avho  stands 
with  the  hands  relaxed,  the  mouth  open,  the  eyes 
closed,  and  the  breath  drawn  in,  in  the  expectation  of 
influx ;  thus  he  would  strip  himself  of  the  human, 
which  he  has  from  the  perception  and  sensation  that 
he  lives,  thinks,  wills,  speaks,  and  acts,  as  of  himself; 
and  at  the  same  time  too  he  would  strip  himself  of 
his  two  faculties,  which  are  rationalit)^  and  liberty, 
by  which  he  is  distinguished  from  the  beasts  :  that 
without  this  appearance  no  man  would  have  the 
receptive  and  the  reciprocal,  and  thus  not  immortal- 
ity, has  been  demonstrated  above  in  this  treatise, 
and  in  the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and 
Divine  Wisdom.  Wherefore  if  you  are  willing  to  be 
led  of  the  Divine  Providence,  use  prudence,  as  a  ser- 
vant and  minister,  who  faithfully  dispenses  the  goods 
of  his  master :  this  prudence  is  the  pound  which  was 
given  to  the  servants  for  trading,  of  which  they 
should  render  an  account:  Luke  xix.  13  to  25  ;  Matt. 
XXV.  14  to  31.  Prudence  itself  appears  to  man  as  his 
own,  and  is  so  long  believed  to  be  his  own,  as  man 
holds  enclosed  within  the  most  hostile  enemy  of  God 
and   of  the  Divine  Providence,  which  is  the  love  of 


192  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

self;  this  dwells  in  the  interiors  of  every  man  from 
birth ;  if  you  do  not  know  it,  for  it  does  not  wish  to 
be  known,  it  dwells  securely,  and  guards  the  door,  lest 
it  should  be  opened  by  man,  and  thus  it  should  be 
cast  out  by  the  Lord.  The  door  is  opened  by  man, 
by  his  shunning  evils  as  sins  as  of  himself,  with  the 
acknowledgment  that  it  is  of  the  Lord.  This  is  the 
prudence  with  which  the  Divine  Providence  acts  as 
one. 

21L  That  the  Divine  Providence  operates  so  hid- 
denly,  that  scarcely  any  one  knows  that  it  is,  is  lest 
man  should  perish  ;  for  the  proprium  of  man,  which  is 
his  will,  never  acts  as  one  with  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence :  the  proprium  of  man  has  innate  enmity  against 
it ;  for  it  is  the  serpent  which  seduced  our  first  parents, 
concerning  which  it  is  said,  I  will  pnt  enmity  between 
thee  and  the  woman^  and  between  thy  seed  and  her 
seed^  and  this  shall  tread  upon  thy  head  :  Gen.  iii.  15  : 
the  serpent  is  evil  of  every  kind  ;  his  head  is  the  love 
of  self;  the  seed  of  the  woman  is  the  Lord  ;  the  enmi- 
ty which  is  put.  is  between  the  love  of  man's  proprium 
and  the  Lord,  thus  also  between  man's  own  prudence 
and  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  ;  for  one's  own 
prudence  is  unceasing  in  the  exaltation  of  its  head,  and 
the  Divine  Providence  is  unceasing  in  the  depression  of 
it.  If  man  was  sensible  of  this,  he  would  be  enraged 
and  exasperated  against  God,  and  would  perish  ;  but 
while  he  is  not  sensible  of  it,  he  may  be  enraged  and 
exasperated  against  men  and  against  himself,  and  also 
against  fortune,  by  which  means  he  does  not  perish. 
Hence  it  is,  that  the  Lord  by  His  Divine  Providence 
continually  leads  man  in  freedom,  and  freedom  appears 
no  otherwise  to  man  than  as  his  proprium  :  and  to 
lead  in  freedom  one  that  is  opposite  to  one's  self,  is 
like  drawing  up  from  the  earth  a  heavy  and  resisting 
weight  by  screws,  by  the  force  of  which  gravity  and 
resistance  is  not  felt :  and  it  is  as  if  one  is  with  an 
enemy,  in  whose  mind  it  is  to  kill  him,  which  he  then 
knows  not,  and  a  friend  leads  him  away  through 
unknown  ways,  and  afterwards  discloses  the  enemy's 
mind. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  193 

212.  Who  does  not  name  fortune  7  and  who  does 
not  acknowledge  it,  because  he  names  it,  and  because 
he  knows  something  concerning  it  from  experience  ? 
but  who  knows  what  it  is  7  that  it  is  something  cannot 
be  denied,  because  it  is,  and  because  it  is  given ;  and 
nothing  can  be  and  be  given  without  a  cause;  but  the 
cause  of  this  something,  or  fortune,  is  unknown ;  but 
lest  it  should  be  denied,  from  the  cause  alone  being 
unknown,  take  dice  or  playing-cards,  and  play,  or 
consult  players ;  who  of  them  denies  fortune?  for  they 
play  with  it  and  it  with  them  wonderfully:  who  can 
act  against  it,  if  it  is  steadfast?  does  it  not  then  laugh 
at  prudence  and  wisdom?  is  it  not,  while  you  shake 
the  dice  and  shuffle  the  cards,  as  if  it  knew  and  dis- 
posed the  shakings  and  shufflings  of  the  joints  of  the 
hand,  to  favor  one  more  than  the  other  from  some 
cause  ?  can  the  cause  be  given  from  anywhere  else  than 
from  the  Divine  Providence  in  ultimates,  where,  by 
constancies  and  inconstancies,  it  acts  wonderfully  with 
human  prudence,  and  at  the  same  time  hides  itself? 
That  the  heathen  formerly  acknowledged  fortune,  and 
built  a  temple  to  it,  also  the  Italians  at  Rome,  is 
known.  Concerning  this  fortune,  which,  as  was  said, 
is  the  Divine  Providence  in  ultimates,  it  has  been 
given  to  know  many  things,  which  it  is  not  permitted 
to  make  manifest :  from  which  it  was  manifest  to  me, 
that  it  is  not  an  illusion  of  the  mind,  nor  a  sport  of 
nature,  nor  anything  without  a  cause,  for  this  is  not 
anything ;  but  that  it  is  an  ocular  testification  that 
the  Divine  Providence  is  in  the  most  particular  things 
of  man's  thoughts  and  actions.  Since  the  Divine 
Providence  is  given  in  things  so  trifling  and  light, 
why  not  in  the  most  particular  things  of  affairs  not 
trifling  and  light,  which  are  the  affairs  of  peace  and 
war  in  the  world,  and  the  affairs  of  salvation  and  life 
in  heaven  ? 

213.  But  I  know  that  human  prudence  brings  over 
the  rational  more  to  its  side,  than  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence does  to  its ;  for  the  reason  that  the  latter  is  not 
apparent,  but  the  former  is  apparent :  it  can  be  more 

17 


194  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

easily  received,  that  there  is  one  only  life,  which  is 
God,  and  that  all  men  are  recipients  of  life  from  Him, 
as  has  been  shown  before  in  many  places ;  and  yet 
this  is  the  same  thing,  because  prudence  is  of  life. 
Who  in  reasoning  does  not  speak  in  favor  of  one's 
own  prudence  and  in  favor  of  nature,  when  he  reasons 
from  the  natural  or  external  man  7  but  who  in  rea- 
soning does  not  speak  in  favor  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, and  in  favor  of  God,  when  he  reasons  from  the 
spiritual  or  internal  man  ?  But,  I  say  to  the  natural 
man,  pray  write  books,  and  fill  them  with  arguments, 
plausible,  probable,  and  likely,  and  in  your  judgment 
solid,  one  in  favor  of  one's  own  prudence,  the  other 
in  favor  of  nature,  and  afterwards  give  them  into  the 
hand  of  any  angel,  and  I  know  that  he  will  write 
below  these  few  words  :  They  are  all  appearances  and 
fallacies. 


THAT  THE  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE  LOOKS  TO  ETERNAL  THINGS, 
AND  NO  OTHERWISE  TO  THINGS  TEMPORAL  THAN  AS  FAR 
AS  THEY  AGREE  WITH  THE  ETERNAL. 

214.  That  the  Divine  Providence  looks  to  eternal 
things,  and  no  otherwise  to  things  temporal  than  as 
they  make  one  with  eternal  things,  will  he  demonstra- 
ted in  this  order.  I.  That  temporal  things  have  re- 
ference to  dignities  and  riches,  thus  to  honors  and 
gains,  in  the  world.  II.  That  eternal  things  have 
reference  to  spiritual  honors  and  wealth,  which  are 
love  and  wisdom  in  heaven.  III.  That  temporal  and 
eternal  things  are  separated  by  man,  but  are  conjoined 
by  the  Lord.  IV.  That  the  conjunction  of  things 
temporal  and  eternal  is  the  Divine  Providence  of 
the  Lord. 

215.  I.  Thai  te'inpnral  things  have  reference  to 
dignities  and  riches^  thus  to  honors  and  gainSj  it?,  the 
world.  Temporal  things  are  many,  but  still  they  all 
have  reference  to  dignities  and  riches  :  by  temporal 
things    are    understood  those    things    which    either 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  195 

perish  with  time,  or  which  only  terminate  with  the 
hfe  of  man  in  the  world ;  but  by  eternal  things 
are  understood  those  which  do  not  perish  and  ter- 
minate with  time,  thus  not  with  life  in  the  world. 
Since,  as  was  said,  all  temporal  things  have  reference 
to  dignities  and  riches,  it  is  important  to  know  the 
following  things,  namely:  What  and  whence  are  digni- 
ties and  riches  :  of  what  quality  is  the  love  of  them 
for  the  sake  of  them,  and  of  what  quality  is  the  love 
of  them  for  the  sake  of  uses  :  that  these  two  loves 
are  distinct  from  each  other  as  hell  and  heaven  :  that 
the  distinction  between  these  loves  is  with  difficulty 
known  by  man  :  but  each  of  these  shall  be  treated  of 
distinctly.  First  :  What  and  whence  are  dignities 
and  riches  :  dignities  and  riches  in  the  most  ancient 
times  were  altogether  different  from  what  they  suc- 
cessively became  afterwards:  in  the  most  ancient  times 
dignities  were  no  other  than  such  as  there  are  between 
parents  and  children,  which  dignities  were  the  digni- 
ties of  love,  full  of  respect  and  veneration,  not  on 
account  of  nativity  from  them,  but  on  account  of  in- 
struction and  wisdom  from  them,  which  is  a  second 
nativity,  in  itself  spiritual,  because  it  was  of  their 
spirit :  this  was  the  only  dignity  in  the  most  ancient 
times,  because  then  tribes,  families  and  houses  dwelt 
separately,  and  not  under  empires  as  at  this  day  :  it 
was  the  father  of  the  family,  with  whom  that  dignity 
was  :  these  times  were  called  by  the  ancients,  the 
golden  ages.  But  after  those  times  the  love  of  ruling 
from  the  sole  delight  of  that  love  successively  invaded  ; 
and  because  there  then  invaded  at  the  same  time 
enmity  and  hostility  against  those  who  were  not  wil- 
ling to  submit  themselves,  tribes,  families  and  houses 
from  necessity  congregated  themselves  into  commu- 
nities, and  set  over  themselves  one  whom  in  the 
beginning  they  called  a  judge,  and  afterwards  chief, 
and  at  length  king  and  emperor  :  and  they  then  began 
also  to  fortify  themselves  by  towers,  ramparts  and 
walls.  From  the  judge,  chief,  king  and  emperor,  as  from 
the  head  into  the  body,  the  lust  of  ruling  entered  into 


196  ANGELIC    AVISDOM    CONCERNING 

many  like  a  contagion  :  licnce  arose  degrees  of  dig- 
nities, and  also  honors  according  to  them  ;  and  with 
them  the  love  of  self,  and  the  pride  of  one's  own  pru- 
dence. Tiie  like  took  place  with  tlie  love  of  riches  :  in 
the  most  ancient  times,  when  tribes  and  families 
dwelt  distinct  from  each  other,  there  was  no  other 
love  of  riches,  than  that  they  might  possess  the  neces- 
saries of  life,  which  they  procured  to  themselves  by 
flocks  and  herds,  and  by  fields,  plains  and  gardens, 
from  which  they  had  food  :  among  their  necessaries 
of  life  were  also  handsome  houses,  furnished  with 
utensils  of  every  kind,  and  also  clothes  :  in  study  and 
work  upon  all  these  things  were  the  parents,  children, 
servants,  and  maids,  who  were  in  the  house,  engaged. 
But  after  the  love  of  ruling  invaded  and  destroyed 
this  commonwealth,  the  love  too  of  possessing  wealth 
beyond  necessities  invaded,  and  grew  to  the  height  that 
it  wished  to  possess  the  wealth  of  all  others.  These  two 
loves  are  as  blood  relations,  for  he  who  wishes  to  rule 
over  all  things,  wishes  also  to  possess  all  things;  for 
thus  all  are  made  slaves,  and  they  alone  lords  :  this 
is  clearly  manifest  from  those  in  the  pontifical  class, 
who  have  exalted  their  dominion  even  into  heaven  to 
the  throne  of  the  Lord,  upon  which  they  have  placed 
themselves,  that  they  may  also  rake  together  the 
wealth  of  the  whole  earth,  and  heap  up  treasures 
without  end.  Secondly  :  Of  what  quality  is  the  love 
of  dignities  and  7'i,ches  for  the  sake  of  them  :  and  of 
what  qualitij  is  the  love  of  dignities  and  riches  for 
the  sake  of  uses  :  the  love  of  dignities  and  honors  for 
the  sake  of  dignities  and  honors  is  the  love  of  self, 
properly  the  love  of  ruling  from  the  love  of  self;  and 
the  love  of  riches  and  wealth  for  the  sake  of  riches 
and  wealth  is  the  love  of  the  world,  properly  the  love 
of  possessing  the  goods  of  others  by  any  art  whatever  : 
but  the  love  of  dignities  and  riches  for  the  sake  of 
uses  is  the  love  of  uses,  which  is  the  same  as  the 
love  of  the  neighbor;  for  that  for  the  sake  of  which 
a  man  acts,  is  the  end  from  which,  and  is  the  first 
or  primary  thing;   and  the  rest  are  means,  and   are 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  197 

secondary.  As  to  the  love  of  dignities  and  honors 
for  the  sake  of  them,  which  is  the  same  as  the  love  of 
self,  properly  as  the  love  of  ruling  from  the  love  of 
self,  it  is  the  love  of  propriiim,  and  the  proprium  of 
man  is  all  evil;  hence  it  is,  that  it  is  said,  that  man 
is  born  into  all  evil,  and  that  his  hereditary  is  nothing 
but  evil :  the  hereditary  of  man  is  his  proprium,  in 
which  he  is,  and  into  which  he  comes  by  the  love  of 
self,  and  chiefly  by  the  love  of  ruling  from  the  love 
of  self;  for  the  man  who  is  in  that  love,  looks  at  no- 
thing but  himself,  and  thns  plunges  his  thoughts  and 
affections  into  his  proprium:  hence  it  is,  that  in  the 
love  of  self  there  is  the  love  of  doing  evil  ;  the  reason 
is,  because  he  does  not  love  the  neighbor,  but  himself 
only  ;  and  he  who  loves  himself  only,  does  not  see 
others  but  as  out  of  himself,  or  as  vile,  or  as  nothing; 
whom  he  despises  in  comparison  of  himself,  and  to 
whom  he  makes  no  account  of  doing  evil :  from  this 
it  is,  that  he  who  is  in  the  love  of  ruling  from  the  love 
of  self,  makes  no  account  of  defrauding  his  neighbor, 
of  committing  adultery  with  his  wife,  of  defaming  him, 
of  breathing  revenge  against  him  even  unto  death,  of 
being  cruel  towards  him,  and  other  like  things :  man 
derives  this  from  this,  that  the  devil  himself  is  nothing 
else  but  the  love  of  ruling  from  the  love  of  self,  with 
whom  he  is  conjoined,  and  by  whom  he  is  led  ;  and  he 
who  is  led  by  the  devil,  that  is,  by  hell,  is  led  into  all 
these  evils;  and  is  continually  led  by  the  delights  of 
these  evils  :  hence  it  is.  that  all  who  are  in  hell,  wish 
to  do  evil  to  all ;  but  those  who  are  in  heaven,  wish 
to  do  good  to  all.  From  this  opposition  there  exists 
that  which  is  in  the  middle,  in  which  man  is  ;  and  he 
is  in  it  as  in  an  equilibrium,  that  he  may  be  able  to 
turn  himself  either  to  heaven  or  to  hell:  and  so  far  as 
he  favors  the  evils  of  the  love  of  self,  so  far  he  turns 
himself  to  hell ;  and  so  far  as  he  removes  them  from 
himself,  so  far  he  turns  himself  to  heaven.  It  has 
been  given  me  to  be  sensible  what  and  how  great  is 
the  delight  of  the  love  of  ruling  from  the  love  of  self: 
I  have  been  led  into  it  for  the  sake  of  becoming  ac- 
17# 


198  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

quainted  with  it;  and  it  was  such  that  it  exceeded  all 
the  delights  which  there  are  in  the  world;  it  was  a 
delight  of  the  whole  mind,  from  its  inmost  things  to 
its  nltimates;  but  in  the  body  it  was  not  felt  other- 
wise than  as  a  pleasure  and  willingness  in  the  swel- 
ling breast :  and  it  was  also  given  to  feel  that  from 
that  delight,  as  from  a  fountain,  spring  forth  the  de- 
lights of  all  evils,  as  of  committing  adultery,  of  re- 
venging, of  defrauding,  of  blaspheming,  and  in  general 
of  doing  evil.  There  is  also  a  like  pleasure  in  the 
love  of  possessing  the  wealth  of  others  by  whatever 
art,  and  in  the  concupiscences  from  it,  which  are  de- 
rivations;  but  yet  not  to  that  degree,  unless  it  is  con- 
joined with  the  love  of  self  But  as  regards  dignities 
and  riches  not  for  their  own  sake  but  for  the  sake  of 
uses,  it  is  not  the  love  of  dignities  and  riches,  but  the 
love  of  uses,  to  which  dignities  serve  as  means  ;  this 
love  is  heavenly  :  but  more  concerning  this  in  what 
follows.  Thirdly.  Tliat  these  two  loves  are  distinct 
from  each  other  as  hell  and  heaven,  is  manifest  from 
the  things  now  said  ;  to  which  I  will  add,  that  all 
who  are  in  the  love  of  ruling  from  the  love  of  self,  are 
as  to  spirit  in  hell,  whoever  they  are,  whether  great 
or  small ;  and  that  all  who  are  in  that  love  are  in  the 
love  of  all  evils ;  and  if  they  do  not  do  them,  still  in 
their  spirit  they  believe  them  allowable,  and  hence  do 
them  in  body,  when  dignity  and  honor,  and  the  fear 
of  the  law,  do  not  hinder  :  and  what  is  more,  the  love 
of  ruling  from  the  love  of  self  hides  inmostly  in  itself 
hatred  against  God,  consequently  against  the  divine 
things  which  are  of  the  church,  and  especially  against 
the  Lord  :  if  tliey  acknowledge  God,  they  do  this  only 
with  the  mouih ;  and  if  the  divine  things  of  the  church, 
they  do  this  only  from  fear  of  the  loss  of  honor.  The 
reason  why  that  love  inmostly  hides  hatred  against 
the  Lord,  is  because  there  is  inmostly  in  that  love  that 
it  wishes  to  be  God ;  for  it  worships  and  adores  itself 
alone  :  hence  it  is,  that  if  any  one  honors  it  so  far  as 
to  say  that  it  has  divine  wisdom,  and  that  it  is  the 
deity  of  the  world,  it  loves  him  in  heart.     It  is  other- 


THE    DH'^INE    PROVIDENCE.  199 

wise  with  the  love  of  dignities  and  riches  for  the  sake 
of  nses  :  this  love  is  heavenly,  hecause,  as  was  said,  it 
is  the  same  as  the  love  of  the  neighbor.  By  uses  are 
understood  goods,  and  hence  by  doing  uses  is  under- 
stood doing  goods  ;  and  by  doing  uses  or  goods  is 
understood  serving  others  and  ministering  to  them  : 
these,  although  they  are  in  dignity  and  opulence,  still 
do  not  regard  dignity  and  opulence  otherwise  than  as 
means  to  doing  uses,  thus  to  serving  and  ministering. 
These  are  they  who  are  understood  by  these  words 
of  the  L(Ord  :  Whoever  wishes  to  become  great  mnoyig 
you,  ought  to  be  your  mbdster  ;  and  ivhoever  wishes  to 
be  first,  ought  to  be  your  servant ;  Matt.  xx.  26,  27  :  it 
is  these  also  to  whom  dominion  in  heaven  is  entrusted 
by  the  Lord  ;  for  they  have  dominion  as  a  means  of 
doing  uses  or  goods,  thus  of  serving;  and  when  uses 
or  goods  are  the  ends  or  loves,  then  they  do  not  rule, 
but  the  Lord,  for  all  good  is  from  him.  Fourthly: 
That  the  difference  between  these  is  loith  difficulty 
known  by  man.  is  because  most  who  are  in  dignity 
and  opulence  also  do  uses ;  but  they  do  not  know 
whether  they  do  uses  for  the  sake  of  themselves,  or 
whether  for  the  sake  of  uses  ;  and  the  less,  because  in 
the  love  of  self  and  of  the  world  there  is  more  of  the 
fire  and  ardor  of  doing  uses,  than  in  those  who  are 
not  in  the  love  of  self  and  the  world ;  but  the  former 
do  uses  for  the  sake  of  fame  or  of  gain,  thus  for  the 
sake  of  themselves ;  but  they  who  do  uses  for  the 
sake  of  uses,  or  goods  for  the  sake  of  goods,  do  not  do 
them  from  themselves,  but  from  the  Lord.  The  dif- 
ference between  them  can  with  difficulty  be  known  by 
man,  for  the  reason,  that  man  knows  not  whether  he 
is  led  by  the  devil,  or  whether  by  the  Lord  :  he  who 
is  led  by  the  devil  does  uses  for  the  sake  of  himself 
and  the  world,  but  he  who  is  led  by  the  Lord  does 
uses  for  the  sake  of  the  Lord  and  heaven ;  and  all 
those  do  uses  from  the  Lord  who  shun  evils  as  sins; 
but  all  tho.se  do  uses  from  the  devil  who  do  not  shun 
evils  as  sins ;  for  evil  is  the  devil,  and  use  or  good  is 
the  Lord  :  thence  and  not  from  elsewhere  is  the  diifer- 


200  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

ence  known  :  both  in  tlie  Pxternal  form  appear  alike, 
but  in  tlie  internal  form  they  are  altogether  unlike; 
the  one  is  like  gold  in  which  there  is  dross  within,  but 
the  other  is  like  gold  in  which  there  is  pure  gold 
within ;  and  the  one  is  like  fruit  made  by  art,  which 
appears  in  the  external  form  like  fruit  from  a  tree, 
when  yet  it  is  colored  wax,  in  which  there  is  dust  or 
bitumen  within ;  but  the  other  is  like  noble  fruit, 
pleasant  in  taste  and  smell,  in  which  are  seeds  within. 
216.  II.  That  eternal  things  have  reference  to 
spiritual  honors  and  wealthy  v^hieh  are  of  love  and 
wisdom,  in  heaven.  Since  the  natural  man  calls  the 
delights  of  the  love  of  self,  which  are  also  the  delights 
of  the  concupiscences  of  evil,  goods,  and  also  confirms 
them  to  be  goods,  therefore  honors  and  wealth  he 
calls  divine  blessings  ;  but  when  that  natural  man 
sees  that  the  evil  are  raised  to  honors  and  promoted  to 
wealth  equally  as  the  good,  and  still  more  when  he 
sees  that  the  good  are  in  contempt  and  poverty,  and 
tlie  evil  in  glory  and  opulence,  he  thinks  with  himself, 
What  is  this?  it  cannot  be  of  the  Divine  Providence; 
for  if  that  governed  all  things,  it  would  heap  honors 
and  wealth  upon  the  good,  and  would  afflict  the  evil 
with  poverty  and  contempt,  and  thus  compel  the  evil 
to  acknowledge  that  there  is  a  God  and  that  there  is 
a  Divine  Providence.  But  the  natural  man,  unless 
illustrated  by  the  spiritual  man,  that  is,  unless  he  is 
at  the  same  time  spiritual,  does  not  see  that  honors 
and  wealth  may  be  blessings,  and  also  that  they  may 
be  curses ;  and  that  when  they  are  blessings,  they  are 
from  God,  and  when  they  are  curses,  they  are  from 
the  devil  :  that  honors  and  wealth  are  also  given  by 
the  devil,  is  known:  for  from  this  he  is  called  the 
prince  of  this  world.  Now  because  it  is  not  known 
when  honors  and  wealth  are  blessings,  and  when  they 
are  curses,  it  is  to  be  told  ;  but  in  this  order.  1.  That 
honors  and  wealth  are  blessings,  and  that  they  are 
curses.  2.  That  honors  and  wealth,  when  they  are 
blessings,  are  spiritual  and  eternal  ;  but  that  when 
they  are  curses,  they  are  temporal  and  perishable.     3. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  201 

That  honors  and  wealth  which  are  curses,  in  com- 
parison with  honors  and  wealth  which  are  blessings, 
are  as  nothing  to  everything,  and  as  what  in  itself  is 
not,  to  that  which  in  itself  is. 

217.  Now  these  three  points  are  to  be  illustrated 
by  themselves.  First:  Tliat  hojiors  and  nealth  are 
blessings,  and  that  they  are  curses :  common  experi- 
ence testifies  that  as  well  the  pious  as  the  impious,  or 
as  well  the  just  as  the  unjust,  that  is.  as  well  the  good 
as  the  evil,  are  in  dignities  and  wealth  ;  and  yet  it  can 
be  denied  by  no  one,  but  that  the  impious  and  the 
unjust,  that  is,  the  evil,  come  into  hell ;  and  the  pious 
and  the  just,  that  is,  the  good,  into  heaven  :  since  this 
is  true,  it  follows  that  dignities  and  riches,  or  honors 
and  wealth,  are  either  blessings  or  curses  ;  and  that 
with  the  good  they  are  blessings,  and  with  the  evil 
they  are  curses.  In  the  work  concerning  Heaven  and 
Hell,  published  at  London  in  the  year  1758,  n.  357  to 
365,  it  is  shown  that  the  rich  as  well  as  the  poor,  and 
the  great  as  well  as  the  small,  are  in  heaven,  and  also 
in  hell ;  from  which  it  is  manifest,  that  dignities  and 
riches,  with  those  who  are  in  heaven,  were  blessings  in 
the  world  ;  and  that  with  those  who  are  in  hell,  they 
were  curses  in  the  world.  But  whence  it  is  that  they 
are  blessings,  and  whence  it  is  that  they  are  curses, 
every  one  can  know,  if  he  only  thinks  somewhat  con- 
cerning this  subject  from  reason  ;  namely,  that  they 
are  blessings  with  those  who  do  not  place  the  heart  in 
them,  and  that  they  are  curses  with  those  who  do  place 
the  heart  in  them :  to  place  the  heart  in  them  is  to 
love  one's  self  in  them,  and  not  to  place  the  heart  in 
them  is  to  love  uses  and  not  one's  self  in  them  :  what 
and  of  what  quality  is  the  difference  between  these 
two  loves,  was  told  above,  n.  215  :  to  which  is  to  be 
added,  that  dignities  and  wealth  seduce  some,  and  some 
they  do  not  seduce :  they  seduce  when  they  excite  the 
loves  of  man's  proprium,  which  is  the  love  of  self;  and 
that  this  is  the  love  of  hell,  which  is  called  the  devil, 
was  also  said  above :  but  they  do  not  seduce  when  they 
do  not  excite  that  love.     That  the  evil  as  well  as  the 


202  ANGEI.IC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

good  are  raised  to  honors,  and  are  promoted  to  wealth, 
is  because  the  evil  equally  as  the  good  do  uses;  but 
the  evil  for  the  sake  of  the  honors  and  gains  of  their 
person,  but  the  good  for  the  sake  of  the  honors  and 
gains  of  the  thing  itself:  the  latter  regard  the  honors 
and  gains  of  the  tiling  as  principal  causes,  and  the 
honors  and  gains  of  the  person  as  instrumental  causes; 
but  the  evil  regard  the  honors  and  gains  of  the  person 
as  principal  causes,  and  the  honors  and  gains  of  the 
thing  as  instrumental  causes  :  but  who  does  not  see, 
that  the  person,  his  function  and  honor,  are  for  the 
sake  of  the  thing  which  he  administers,  and  not  the 
contrary  ?  who  does  not  see,  that  the  judge  is  for  the 
sake  of  justice,  the  magistrate  for  the  sake  of  the  com- 
mon weal,  and  tlie  king  for  the  sake  of  the  kingdom, 
and  not  the  contrary  ?  wherefore  also,  according  to  the 
laws  of  the  kingdom,  every  one  is  in  dignity  and  honor 
according  to  the  dignity  of  the  thing  in  the  discharge 
of  which  he  is ;  and  the  difference  is  as  between 
principal  and  instrumental.  He  who  attributes  the 
honor  of  the  thing  to  himself  or  to  his  person,  appears 
in  the  spiritual  world,  vvdien  this  is  represented,  like  a 
man  with  the  body  inverted,  the  feet  up  and  the  head 
down.  Secondly  :  That  dignities  and  wealthy  when 
they  are  blessings^  are  spiritual  and  eternal,  and  that 
when  they  are  curses,  they  are  temporal  and  perishable : 
there  are  dignities  and  wealth  in  heaven  as  in  the 
world,  for  there  are  governments  there,  and  hence 
administrations  and  functions;  and  there  are  also 
tradings,  and  hence  wealth,  since  there  are  societies 
and  communities.  The  universal  heaven  is  distin- 
guished into  two  kingdoms,  of  which  one  is  called 
the  celestial  kingdom,  and  the  other  the  spiritual 
kingdom ;  and  each  kingdom  into  innumerable  socie- 
ties, greater  and  less ;  all  which,  and  all  in  which, 
are  arranged  according  to  the  differences  of  love  and 
thence  wisdom  ;  the  societies  of  the  celestial  kingdom 
according  to  the  differences  of  celestial  love,  which  is 
love  to  the  Lord  ;  and  the  societies  of  the  spiritual 
kingdom  according  to  the  dilferences  of  spiritual  love, 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  203 

which  is  love  towards  the  neighbor :  because  there 
are  such  societies,  and  all  who  are  in  them  have  been 
men  in  the  world,  and  hence  retain  with  themselves 
the  loves  which  they  had  in  the  world,  with  the  dif- 
ference that  they  are  now  spiritual,  and  that  the 
dignities  and  wealth  themselves  are  spiritual  in  the 
spiritual  kingdom,  and  celestial  in  the  celestial  king- 
dom ;  consequently  those  have  dignities  and  wealth 
above  others  that  have  love  and  wisdom  above  others, 
who  are  those  to  whom  dignities  and  wealth  were 
blessings  in  the  world.  From  these  things  it  may  be 
evident,  of  what  quality  spiritual  dignities  and  wealth 
are  ;  that  they  are  of  the  thing  and  not  of  the  person: 
the  person  indeed  who  is  in  dignity  there,  is  in  mag- 
nificence and  glory,  like  that  of  kings  on  earth  ;  but 
still  they  do  not  look  upon  the  dignity  itself  as  any- 
thing; but  the  uses,  in  the  administration  and  dis- 
charge of  which  they  are  :  they  indeed  receive  honors, 
each  those  of  his  dignity:  but  they  do  not  attribute 
them  to  themselves,  but  to  the  uses  themselves ;  and 
because  all  uses  are  from  the  Lord,  they  attribute 
them  to  the  Lord,  from  whom  they  are :  such  there- 
fore are  spiritual  dignities  and  wealth,  which  are 
eternal.  But  it  happens  otherwise  to  those,  to  whom 
dignities  and  wealth  in  the  world  were  curses :  these, 
because  they  attribute  them  to  themselves,  and  not  to 
uses,  and  because  they  have  not  been  willing  that 
uses  should  rule  over  them,  but  they  over  uses,  which 
they  have  regarded  as  uses  so  far  as  they  sulDserved 
their  honor  and  glory,  are  therefore  in  hell,  and  are 
base  drudges  there,  in  contempt  and  misery ;  where- 
fore, because  these  dignities  and  wealth  perish,  they 
are  said  to  be  temporal  and  perishable.  Concerning 
the  former  and  the  latter  the  Lord  thus  teaches:  "  Lay 
not  up  for  yourselves  treasures  on  earth,  where  rust 
and  the  moth  corrupt,  and  where  thieves  dig  through 
and  steal :  but  lay  up  for  yourselves  treasures  in 
heaven,  where  neither  rust  nor  the  moth  corrupt,  and 
where  thieves  dig  not  through  nor  steal :  for  where 
your  treasure  is,  your  heart  also  is,"  Matt.  vi.  19,  20, 


204  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

21.  Thirdly  :  Tltat  dlgmtics  and  wealth  which  are 
curses,  in  comparison  of  dignities  and  wealth  tohich 
are  blessings,  are  as  nothing  to  everytliing,  and  as 
what  in  itself  is  7iot,  to  that  which  in  itself  is.  Every- 
thing which  perishes,  and  does  not  become  anything, 
is  inwardly  in  itself  nothing:  it  is  indeed  outwardly 
something ;  yea,  it  appears  as  much,  and  to  some  as 
everytliing,  as  long  as  it  lasts;  but  not  inwardly  in 
itself:  it  is  like  a  surface  within  which  there  is 
nothing ;  and  it  is  like  a  theatrical  character  in  a 
royal  dress,  when  the  play  is  ended :  but  that  which 
remains  to  eternity,  is  in  itself  perpetually  something, 
thus  ev^erything ;  and  it  also  is,  because  it  does  not 
cease  to  be. 

218.  III.  That  temporal  and  eternal  things  are 
separated  by  man,  but  that  they  are  conjoined  by  the 
Lord:  that  it  is  so,  is  because  all  things  of  man  are 
temporal,  from  which  man  may  be  called  the  tempo- 
ral, and  all  things  of  the  Lord  are  eternal,  from  which 
the  Lord  is  called  the  eternal ;  and  temporal  things 
are  those  which  have  an  end  and  perish ;  but  eternal 
things  are  those  which  have  not  an  end,  and  do  not 
perish.  That  these  two  cannot  be  conjoined,  except 
by  the  infinite  wisdom  of  the  Lord,  and  thus  that 
they  can  be  joined  by  the  Lord,  and  not  by  man, 
every  one  can  see.  But  that  it  may  be  known  that 
the  two  are  separated  by  man,  and  conjoined  by  the 
Lord,  it  is  to  be  demonstrated  in  this  order.  1.  What 
temporal  things  are  and  what  are  eternal  things.  2. 
That  man  is  temporal  in  himself,  and  that  the  Lord  is 
eternal  in  Himself;  and  that  hence  nothing  can  proceed 
from  man  but  \vhat  is  temporal,  and  nothing  from  the 
Lord  but  what  is  eternal.  3.  That  temporal  things 
separate  eternal  things  from  themselves,  and  that 
eternal  things  conjoin  things  temporal  to  themselves. 
4.  That  the  Lord  conjoins  man  to  Himself  by  appear- 
ances.    5.  And  that  He  does  by  correspondences. 

219.  But  these  points  are  to  be  illustrated  and  con- 
firmed by  themselves  singly.  First  :  What  temporal 
things   are^  and  wliat    are  eternal  things :  temporal 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  205 

things  are  all  those  things  which  are  proper  to  nature, 
and  which  thence  are  proper  to  man :  the  things 
proper  to  nature  are  especially  spaces  and  times,  both 
of  them  with  limit  and  bound :  the  things  proper  to 
man  thence  are  what  are  of  his  own  will  and  his  own 
understanding,  and  those  which  thence  are  of  his 
affection  and  thought,  especially  those  which  are  of 
his  prudence ;  and  that  those  are  finite  and  limited,  is 
known.  But  eternal  things  are  all  things  which  are 
proper  to  the  Lord,  and  from  Him  are  as  it  were 
proper  to  man:  the  things  proper  to  the  Lord  are  all 
things  infinite  and  eternal,  thus  without  time,  conse- 
quently without  limit  and  without  end :  those  Avhich 
are  thence  as  it  were  proper  to  man,  are  alike  infinite 
and  eternal;  but  nothing  of  them  is  man's,  but  they 
are  of  the  Lord  alone  with  him.  Secondly  :  That 
man  is  teinporal  in  himse/f,  and  that  the  Lord  is  eter- 
nal in  Himself ;  and  that  hence  nothing  can  jnoceed 
from  man  but  what  is  temporal^  and  nothing  from 
the  Lord  but  ichai  is  eternal.  That  man  in  himself  is 
temporal,  and  that  the  Lord  in  Himself  is  eternal, 
was  said  above  :  since  nothing  else  can  proceed  from 
anything  but  what  is  in  itself,  it  follows  that  nothing 
else  can  proceed  from  man  but  what  is  temporal, 
and  nothing  from  the  Lord  but  what  is  eternal ;  for 
from  the  finite  cannot  proceed  the  infinite  ;  that  it  can 
proceed  is  contradictory  :  but  still  from  the  finite  can 
proceed  the  infinite;  yet  not  from  the  finite,  but  from 
the  infinite  through  it :  on  the  other  hand  also,  from 
the  infinite  cannot  proceed  the  finite  ;  that  it  can  pro- 
ceed is  also  contradictory  :  yet  from  the  infinite  can 
be  produced  the  finite  ;  but  this  is  not  to  proceed,  but 
to  create ;  concerning  which  subject  may  be  seen  the 
Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and 
Divine  Wisdo3I,  from  beginning  to  end  :  wherefore  if 
the  finite  proceeds  from  the  Lord,  as  takes  place  in 
many  things  with  man,  it  does  not  proceed  from  the 
Lord,  but  from  man  ;  and  it  may  be  said,  from  the 
Lord  through  man,  because  it  so  appears.  This  may 
be  illustrated  by  these  words  of  the  Lord :  "  Your 
18 


206  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

discourse  must  be  yea,  yea  ;  nay,  nay  ;  what  is  be- 
yond these,  is  from  evil,"  Matt.  v.  37:  such  discourse 
have  all  in  the  third  heaven;  for  they  never  reason 
concerning  divine  tilings,  whether  it  is  so  or  is  not  so, 
but  see  in  themselves  from  the  Lord,  that  it  is  so  or 
not  so  ;  wherefore  to  reason  concerning  divine  things, 
whether  they  are  so  or  not,  is  because  the  reasoner 
does  not  see  them  from  the  Lord,  but  wishes  to  see 
from  himself;  and  what  man  sees  from  himself,  is 
evil.  But  still  the  Lord  wishes  not  only  that  man 
should  think  and  speak  concerning  divine  things,  but 
also  reason  concerning  them,  to  the  end  that  he  may 
see  that  it  is  so  or  not  so ;  and  this  thought,  speech  or 
reasoning,  provided  it  has  for  end  that  he  may  see 
the  truth,  may  be  said  to  be  from  the  Lord  with  man ; 
but  it  is  from  man,  until  he  sees  the  truth  and 
acknowledges  it :  in  the  mean  time  it  is  only  from  the 
Lord  that  he  is  able  to  think,  speak  and  reason ;  for 
this  he  can  do  from  the  two  faculties,  which  are  called 
liberty  and  rationality;  which  faculties  man  has  from 
the  Lord  alone.  Thirdly  :  That  temporal  tldngs 
separate  eternal  things  from  themselves,  and  that 
eternal  things  conjoin  things  temporal  to  themselves  : 
by  temporal  things  separating  eternal  things  from 
themselves,  is  understood  that  man  does,  who  is  tem- 
poral, from  the  temporal  things  in  himself;  and  by 
eternal  things  conjoining  temporal  things  to  them- 
selves, is  understood  that  the  Lord  does,  who  is  eter- 
nal, from  the  eternal  things  in  himself,  as  was  said 
above.  It  was  shown  in  tlie  preceding  pages  that 
there  is  a  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  man,  and  a 
reciprocal  one  of  man  with  the  Lord ;  but  that  the 
reciprocal  conjunction  of  man  with  the  Lord  is  not 
from  man.  but  from  the  Lord;  also  that  the  will  of 
man  runs  counter  to  the  will  of  the  Lord,  or,  what  is 
the  same,  man's  own  prudence  to  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence of  the  Lord  :  from  these  things  follows  this, 
that  man,  from  his  temporal  things,  separates  the 
eternal  things  of  the  Lord  from  himself,  but  that  the 
Lord   conjoins    His   eternal    things    to  the    temporal 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  207 

things  of  man,  that  is,  Himself  to  man  and  man  to 
Himself:  because  these  things  have  been  mnch  treated 
of  in  the  preceding  pages,  there  is  no  need  of  confirming 
them  by  more  words.  Fourthly:  That  the  Lord  con- 
joins inan  to  Himself  by  appearances  :  for  it  is  an 
appearance,  that  man  of  himself  loves  the  neighbor, 
does  good,  and  speaks  truth:  unless  these  things  ap- 
peared to  man  as  from  him,  he  would  not  love  the 
neighbor,  do  good,  and  speak  truth,  thus  would  not 
be  conjoined  to  the  Lord :  but  because  love,  good,  and 
truth  are  from  the  Lord,  it  is  manifest  that  the  Lord 
conjoins  man  to  Himself  by  appearances.  But  this 
appearance,  and  the  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with 
man,  and  the  reciprocal  conjunction  of  man  with  the 
Lord  by  it,  have  been  treated  of  in  many  places  above. 
Fifthly  :  That  the  Lord  conjoins  ina,n  to  Himself  by 
correspondences :  this  is  done  by  the  means  of  the 
Word,  the  literal  sense  of  which  consists  of  mere  cor- 
respondences :  that  by  that  sense  there  is  conjunction 
of  the  Lord  with  man,  and  a  reciprocal  conjunction 
of  man  with  the  Lord,  is  shown  in  the  Doctrine  of 
THE  New  .Terusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
ture, from  beginning  to  end. 

220.  IV.  That  the  conjunction  of  temporal  and 
eternal  things  with  man  is  the  Divine  Providence  of 
the  Lord:  but  because  these  things  cannot  fall  into 
the  first  perception  of  the  understanding,  unless  they 
are  first  reduced  to  order,  and  are  unfolded  and  de- 
monstrated according  to  it,  therefore  this  shall  be  the 
order  of  them.  1.  That  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence, 
that  man  by  death  puts  off  natural  and  temporal 
things,  and  puts  on  spiritual  and  eternal  things.  2. 
That  the  Lord  by  His  Divine  Providence  conjoins 
Himself  to  natural  things  by  spiritual,  and  to  tem- 
poral things  by  eternal,  according  to  uses.  3.  That 
the  Lord  conjoins  Himself  to  uses  by  correspondences, 
and  thus  by  appearances  according  to  confirmations 
from  man.  4.  That  such  conjunction  of  temporal 
and  eternal  things  is  the  Divine  Providence.  But 
these  shall  be  put  into  clearer  light  by  explanations. 


208  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

First  :  That  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  man 
after  death  puts  off  natural  and  temporal  things  and 
puts  on  spiritual  and  eternal  things :  natural  and 
temporal  things  are  the  extremes  and  nltimates,  into 
which  man  first  enters ;  which  is  done  when  he  is 
born,  for  the  purpose  that  he  may  afterwards  be  intro- 
duced into  interior  and  superior  things;  for  extremes 
and  nltimates  are  continents,  aud  these  are  in  the 
natural  world :  hence  it  is  that  no  angel  or  spirit  was 
immediately  created  such,  but  that  they  were  all  born 
men,  and  so  introduced  :  hence  they  have  extremes 
and  nltimates,  which  in  themselves  are  fixed  and 
stated,  within  which  and  from  which  interior  things 
can  be  held  together  in  connection.  But  man  fi.rst 
puts  on  the  grosser  things  of  nature;  his  body  is 
from  them ;  but  these  he  puts  off  by  death,  and 
retains  the  purer  things  of  nature,  which  are  next 
to  spiritual  things,  and  these  are  then  his  continents. 
Moreover,  in  extremes  or  nltimates  are  at  the  same 
time  all  interior  or  superior  things,  as  has  been  shown 
before  in  the  proper  places  ;  wherefore  all  operation 
of  the  Lord  is  by  first  things  and  nltimates  at  the 
same  time,  thus  in  fulness.  But  because  the  extremes 
and  nltimates  of  nature  cannot  receive  the  spiritual 
and  eternal  things  to  which  the  human  mind  is 
formed,  as  they  are  in  themselves,  and  yet  man  is 
born  that  he  may  become  spiritual  and  live  to  eter- 
nity, therefore  man  puts  them  off",  and  retains  only 
the  interior  natural  things,  which  are  suitable  to  and 
accord  with  spiritual  and  celestial  things,  and  sub- 
serve them  for  continents  :  this  is  done  by  the  rejec- 
tion of  temporal  and  natural  nltimates,  which  is  the 
death  of  the  body.  Secondly  :  That  the  Lord  by  His 
Divine  Providence  conjoins  Himself  to  natural  things 
by  spirituaL  and  to  temporal  things  by  eternal,  accord- 
ing to  uses:  natural  and  temporal  things  are  not 
only  those  which  are  proper  to  nature,  but  also  those 
which  are  proper  to  men  in  the  natural  world  :  the 
former  and  the  latter  man  puts  oft'  by  death,  and  puts 
on  the  spiritual  and  eternal  things  corresponding  to 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  209 

them :  that  he  puts  on  these  according  to  uses,  has 
been  shown  m  many  places  in  the  preceding  pages. 
The  natural  things  which  are  proper  to  nature  have 
reference  in  general  to  times  and  spaces,  and  in  par- 
ticular to  those  things  which  are  seen  upon  the  earth  : 
these  man  leaves  by  death,  and  in  place  of  them 
receives  spiritual  things,  which  as  to  external  look  or 
appearance  are  like  them,  but  not  as  to  internal  look 
or  essence  itself;  which  subject  has  been  also  treated 
of  above.  The  temporal  things  which  are  proper  to 
men  in  the  natural  world  have  reference  in  general 
to  dignities  and  wealth,  and  in  particular  to  every 
man's  necessities,  which  are  food,  clothing,  and  hab- 
itation :  these  also  are  put  off  and  left  by  death,  and 
such  things  are  put  on  and  received  as  are  like  them 
as  to  external  look  or  appearance,  but  not  as  to  inter- 
nal look  and  as  to  essence  :  all  these  things  have  their 
internal  look  and  essence  from  the  uses  of  temporal 
things  in  the  world :  uses  are  the  goods  which  are 
called  goods  of  charity.  From  these  things  it  may  be 
evident  that  the  Lord  by  His  Divine  Providence  con- 
joins spiritual  and  eternal  things  to  natural  and  tem- 
poral things  according  to  uses.  Thirdly  :  That  the 
Lord  conjoins  Hmiself  to  uses  by  correspondences, 
and  thus  by  appewances  according  to  the  confirmations 
of  them  by  man:  but  because  these  things  cannot  but 
seem  obscure  to  those  who  have  not  yet  received  a 
clear  notion  as  to  what  correspondence  and  what  ap- 
pearance is,  therefore  they  must  be  illustrated  and  so 
explained  by  examples  :  all  things  of  the  Word  are 
mere  correspondences  of  spiritual  and  heavenly  things, 
and  because  they  are  con-espondences  they  are  also 
appearances ;  that  is,  all  things  of  the  Word  are 
divine  goods  of  the  divine  love  and  divine  truths  of 
the  divine  wisdom,  which  are  naked  in  themselves, 
but  are  clothed  in  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word ; 
wherefore  they  appear  like  a  man  in  a  dress  which 
corresponds  to  the  state  of  his  love  and  wisdom : 
from  which  it  is  manifest,  that  if  man  confirms  ap- 
pearances, it  is  the  like  as  if  he  confirmed  that  clothes 
18* 


210  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

are  men  ;  hence  appearances  become  fallacies  :  it  is 
otherwise  if  man  seeks  out  truths  and  sees  them  in 
the  appearances.  Now  because  all  the  uses,  or  goods 
and  truths  of  charity,  which  man  does  to  liis  neigh- 
bor, he  either  does  according  to  appearances  or  accord- 
ing to  the  truths  themselves  in  the  Word,  if  he  does 
them  according  to  appearances  confirmed  with  him- 
self, he  is  in  fallacies  ;  but  if  according  to  truths,  he 
does  them  as  he  ought :  from  these  things  it  may  be 
evident  what  is  understood  by  the  Lord's  conjoining 
Himself  to  uses  by  correspondences,  and  thus  by  ap- 
pearances according  to  the  confirmations  of  them  by 
man.  Fourthly  :  That  such  conjunction  of  temporal 
and  eternal  things  is  the  Divine  Providence :  that 
these  things  may  be  set  in  some  light  before  the 
understanding,  they  shall  be  illustrated  by  two  exam- 
ples ;  by  one  which  concerns  dignities  and  honors, 
and  by  another  which  concerns  riches  and  wealth : 
both  in  the  external  form  are  natural  and  temporal, 
but  in  the  internal  form  they  are  spiritual  and  eternal. 
Dignities  with  their  honors  are  natural  and  temporal, 
when  man  regards  himself  as  to  person  in  them,  and 
not  the  commonwealth  and  uses  in  them ;  for  then 
man  cannot  think  otherwise  interiorly  with  himself, 
than  that  the  commonwealth  is  for  the  sake  of  him- 
self, and  not  he  for  the  sake  of  the  commonwealth : 
he  is  like  a  king  who  thinks  that  the  kingdom  and  all 
the  men  in  it  are  for  the  sake  of  himself,  and  not  he 
for  the  sake  of  his  kingdom  and  men.  But  the  same 
dignities  with  their  honors  are  spiritual  and  eternal, 
when  man  regards  himself  as  to  person  for  the  sake 
of  the  commonwealth  and  uses,  and  not  these  for  the 
sake  of  himself:  if  he  does  this,  man  is  then  in  the 
truth  and  in  the  essence  of  his  dignity  and  honor  ; 
but  if  the  former,  he  is  then  in  correspondence  and 
appearance;  and  if  he  confirms  them  with  himself, 
he  is  in  fallacies,  and  no  otherwise  in  conjunction 
with  the  Lord,  than  as  they  are  who  are  in  falsities 
and  thence  in  evils ;  for  fallacies  are  the  falsities  with 
which  evils  conjoin  themselves :    they   have   indeed 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  211 

performed  uses  and  goods,  but  from  themselves  and 
not  from  the  Lord;  thus  they  have  put  themselves  in 
place  of  the  Lord.  It  is  the  like  with  riches  and 
wealth,  which  are  also  natural  and  temporal,  also 
spiritual  and  eternal  :  riches  and  wealth  are  natural 
and  temporal  with  those  who  only  look  at  them,  and 
themselves  in  tlieni.  and  all  their  pleasure  and  delight 
in  these  two ;  hut  the  same  are  spiritual  and  eternal 
with  those  who  look  at  good  uses  in  them,  and  inte- 
rior pleasure  and  delight  in  these  :  with  these,  exterior 
pleasure  and  delight  also  becomes  spiritual,  and  the 
temporal  becomes  eternal ;  wherefore  also  these  after 
death  are  in  heaven,  and  in  palaces  there,  the  utensile 
forms  of  which  shine  from  gold  and  precious  stones ; 
which  however  they  do  not  regard  otherwise  than  as 
external  things  shining  and  pellucid  from  internal 
things,  which  are  uses,  from  which  they  have  pleasure 
itself  and  delight,  which  in  themselves  are  the  felici- 
tousness  and  happiness  of  heaven  :  the  contrary  lot 
have  those  who  have  looked  at  riches  and  wealth  only 
for  the  sake  of  them  and  of  themselves  ;  thus  for  the 
sake  of  external  things,  and  not  at  the  same  time  of 
internal  things ;  thus  according  to  appearances,  and 
not  according  to  their  essences  :  when  they  put  them 
off,  which  is  done  when  they  die,  they  put  on  the 
internals  of  them  ;  and  because  these  are  not  spiritual, 
they  cannot  but  be  infernal ;  for  either  the  one  or  the 
other  is  in  them,  hut  both  cannot  be  at  the  same  time: 
whence  instead  of  riches  they  have  poverty,  and 
instead  of  wealth,  misery.  By  uses  are  understood 
not  only  the  necessaries  of  life  which  have  reference 
to  food,  clothing  and  habitation  for  themselves  and 
theirs,  but  also  t!ie  good  of  the  country  is  understood, 
the  good  of  society,  and  the  good  of  a  fellow-citizen. 
Such  a  good  is  trading,  when  it  is  the  final  love,  and 
money  a  mediate  love  subserving;  provided  the  trader 
shuns  and  loathes  frauds  and  bad  arts  as  sins :  it  is 
otherwise  when  money  is  the  final  love,  and  trading 
a  mediate  love  subserving ;  for  this  is  avarice,  which 


212  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

is  the  root  of  evils;  concerning  which,  see  Luke  xii. 
15,  and  the  parable  concerning  it,  verses  16  to  21. 


THAT    MAN    IS    NOT    LET    INTERIORLY    INTO    THE    TRUTHS  OF 

FAITH,    AND     INTO     THE     GOODS     OF    CHARITY,    EXCEPT  SO 

FAR    AS    HE    CAN    BE    KEPT    IN    THEM    UNTIL    THE    END  OF 
LIFE. 

221.  It  is  known  in  the  christian  world,  that  the 
Lord  wills  the  salvation  of  all,  and  also  that  He  is 
omnipotent ;  wherefore  many  conclnde  from  this,  that 
He  can  save  every  one,  and  that  He  will  save  those 
who  implore  His  mercy  ;  especially  those  who  implore 
it  through  the  formula  of  the  received  faith,  that  God 
the  Father  has  mercy  for  the  sake  of  the  Son ;  espe- 
cially if  they  at  the  same  time  implore  that  they  may 
receive  that  faith  :  but  that  it  is  altogether  otherwise, 
will  be  seen  in  the  last  chapter  of  this  treatise;  where 
it  will  be  explained,  that  the  Lord  cannot  act  contrary 
to  the  laws  of  His  Divine  Providence,  because  to  act 
contrary  to  them  would  be  to  act  contrary  to  His 
divine  love  and  contrary  to  His  divine  wisdom,  thus 
contrary  to  Himself;  when  it  will  be  seen  that  such 
immediate  mercy  is  not  possible,  because  man's  salva- 
tion takes  place  through  means,  according  to  which 
no  other  one  can  lead  man  but  he  who  wills  the  sal- 
vation of  all,  and  is  at  the  same  time  omnipotent,  thus 
the  Lord.  The  means  by  which  man  is  led  by  the 
Lord,  are  what  are  called  the  laws  of  the  Divine 
Providence,  among  which  is  also  this,  that  man  is  not 
let  interiorly  into  the  truths  of  wisdom  and  into  the 
goods  of  love,  except  so  far  as  he  can  be  kept  in  them 
until  the  end  of  life.  But  that  this  may  be  manifest 
before  the  reason,  it  is  to  be  explained  in  this  order. 
1.  That  man  can  be  let  into  the  wisdom  of  spiritual 
things,  and  also  into  the  love  of  them,  and  still  not 
be  reformed.  2.  That  if  man  afterwards  recedes 
from,  and  runs  counter  to  them,  he  profanes  holy 
things.    3.  That  there  are  very  many  kinds  of  profana- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  213 

tions,  but  that  this  kind  is  the  worst  of  all.  4.  That 
the  Lord  therefore  does  not  let  man  interiorly  into  the 
truths  of  wisdom  and  at  the  same  time  into  the  goods 
of  love,  except  as  far  as  man  can  be  kept  in  them 
until  the  end  of  life. 

222.  I.  That  man  can  be  let  into  the  uisdom  of 
spiritual  things,  a?id  also  into  the  love  of  them,  and 
still  not  be  reformed :  the  reason  is,  because  man  has 
rationality  and  liberty  ;  by  rationality  he  can  be  ele- 
vated into  wisdom  almost  angelic,  and  by  liberty  into 
love  not  unlike  angelic  love  ;  but  still,  as  is  the  love, 
such  is  the  wisdom  :  if  the  love  is  celestial  and  spirit- 
ual, the  wisdom  becomes  celestial  and  spiritual  also  ; 
but  if  the  love  is  diabolical  and  infernal,  the  wisdom 
is  also  diabolical  and  infernal:  the  latter  may  then 
indeed  appear,  in  the  external  form,  and  thus  before 
others,  as  celestial  and  spiritual ;  but  in  the  internal 
form,  which  is  its  very  essence,  it  is  diabolical  and 
infernal ;  not  without  it,  but  within  it :  that  it  is  such, 
does  not  appear  to  men  ;  because  men  are  natural,  and 
see  and  hear  naturally,  and  the  external  form  is  natu- 
ral:  but  that  it  is  such,  does  appear  to  the  angels; 
because  the  angels  are  spiritual,  and  see  and  hear 
spiritually,  and  the  internal  form  is  spiritual.  From 
these  things  it  is  manifest,  that  man  can  be  let  into 
the  wisdom  of  spiritual  things,  and  also  into  the  love 
of  them,  and  still  not  be  reformed ;  yet  then  only  into 
the  natural  love  of  them,  but  not  into  the  spiritual 
love  of  them:  the  reason  is,  that  man  can  let  himself 
into  natural  love,  but  the  Lord  alone  into  spiritual 
love ;  and  they  who  are  let  into  the  latter  are  reformed, 
but  they  who  are  only  let  into  the  former  are  not 
reformed;  for  these  are  most  of  them  hypocrites,  and 
very  many  are  of  the  order  of  the  Jesuits,  who  inte- 
riorly believe  nothing  divine,  but  exteriorly  play  with 
divine  things  like  conjurers. 

223.  It  has  been  given  to  know  by  much  experience 
in  the  spiritual  world,  that  man  possesses  in  himself 
the  faculty  of  understanding  the  arcana  of  wisdom, 
like   the   angels   themselves;    for  I   have  seen  fiery 


214  ANGELIC  WISDOM  CONCERNING 

devils,  who,  when  they  heard  arcana  of  wisdom,  not 
only  understood  them,  but  also  from  their  rationality 
spoke  them ;  yet  as  soon  as  they  returned  to  their  dia- 
bolical love,  they  did  not  understand  them,  but  instead 
of  them  the  contrary  things,  which  were  of  insanity; 
and  this  they  then  called  wisdom  :  yea,  it  has  been 
given  to  hear,  that  when  they  were  in  the  state  of 
wisdom,  they  laughed  at  their  insanity;  and  when 
they  were  in  the  state  of  insanity,  they  laughed  at 
wisdom.  A  man  who  has  been  such  in  the  world, 
when  he  becomes  a  spirit  after  death,  is  let  into  the 
alternate  state  of  wisdom  and  insanity  very  many 
times,  that  he  may  see  the  latter  from  the  former  :  but 
although  they  see  from  wisdom  that  they  are  insane, 
still  when  the  choice  is  given  them,  which  is  done  to 
every  one,  they  let  themselves  into  the  state  of  insan- 
ity, and  love  it ;  and  then  they  hold  in  hatred  the 
state  of  wisdom  :  the  reason  is,  because  their  internal 
was  diabolical,  and  the  external  as  divine  :  these  are 
they  who  are  understood  by  the  devils,  who  make 
themselves  angels  of  light;  and  by  him  who  in  the 
house  of  the  wedding  was  not  clothed  in  a  wedding 
garment,  and  was  cast  into  outer  darkness  :  Matt.  xxii. 
11,  12,  13. 

224.  Who  cannot  see,  that  it  is  the  internal  from 
which  the  external  exists?  consequently  that  the 
external  has  its  essence  from  the  internal?  and  who 
does  not  know  from  experience,  that  the  external  may 
appear  otherwise  than  according  to  its  essence  from 
the  internal '?  for  this  manifestly  appears  with  hypo- 
crites, adulterers,  and  dissemblers;  and  that  man  can 
in  externals  counterfeit  characters  not  his  own,  appears 
from  comedians  and  mimics;  for  these  know  how  to 
represent  kings,  emperors,  yea  angels,  by  the  sound, 
speech,  face  and  gesture,  as  they  would  be,  when  yet 
they  are  nothing  but  conjurers:  this  is  also  said,  because 
man  can  alike  act  the  sycophant,  not  only  in  civil  and 
moral  things,  but  also  in  spiritual  things;  and  it  is 
also  known  that  many  do  it.  When  therefore  the 
internal  in  its  essence  is  infernal,  and  the  external  in 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  215 

its  form  appears  spiritual,  and  yet  the  external  derives 
its  essence  from  the  internal,  as  was  said,  it  is  asked 
where  indeed  that  essence  lies  hid  in  the  external :  it 
does  not  appear  in  the  gesture,  nor  in  the  sound,  nor 
in  the  speech,  nor  in  the  face  ;  but  still  it  lies  hid  inte- 
riorly in  these  four:  that  it  lies  hid  in  them  interiorly, 
is  plainly  manifest  from  the  same  in  the  spiritual 
world  ;  for  when  man  comes  from  the  natural  world 
into  the  spiritual  world,  which  is  done  when  he  dies, 
then  he  leaves  his  externals  with  the  body,  and  retains 
his  internals,  which  he  has  stored  up  in  his  spirit ;  and 
then,  if  his  internal  has  been  infernal,  he  appears  like 
a  devil,  such  as  he  had  also  been  as  to  his  spirit,  when 
he  lived  in  the  world.  Who  does  not  acknowledge 
that  every  man  leaves  externals  with  the  body,  and 
enters  into  internals  when  he  becomes  a  spirit  ?  To 
these  things  I  will  add  also  these,  that  in  the  spiritual 
world  there  is  a  communication  of  the  affections  and 
thence  of  the  thoughts  ;  from  which  it  is,  that  no  one 
can  speak  otherwise  than  just  as  he  thinks  :  also  that 
every  one  there  changes  the  face,  and  becomes  like 
his  affection  ;  so  that  it  also  appears  from  the  face 
what  he  is  :  it  is  sometimes  given  to  hypocrites  to 
speak  otherwise  than  they  think,  but  the  sound  of 
their  speech  is  heard  altogether  discordant  from  their 
interior  thoughts  ;  and  from  the  discordance  they  are 
distinguished  :  hence  it  may  be  evident  that  the  inter- 
nal lies  hid  interiorly  in  the  sound,  speech,  face  and 
gesture  of  the  external ;  and  that  this  is  not  perceived 
by  men  in  the  natural  world,  but  manifestly  by  angels 
in  the  spiritual  world. 

225.  From  these  things  it  is  now  manifest  that  man, 
as  long  as  he  lives  in  the  natural  world,  can  be  let  into 
the  wisdom  of  spiritual  things,  and  also  into  the  love 
of  them ;  and  that  this  is  done,  and  can  be  done,  as 
well  with  those  who  are  merely  natural,  as  with  those 
who  are  spiritual;  but  with  the  difference,  that  the  lat- 
ter are  reformed  by  these  things,  but  that  by  the  same 
the  former  are  not  reformed  :  with  these  also  it  may 
appear  as  if  they  loved  wisdom,  but  they  no  otherwise 


216  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

love  it  than  as  an  adulterer  loves  a  noble  woman  for  a 
mistress,  with  whom  he   speaks  caressingly,  and  to 
whom  he  gives  dresses  of  ornament ;  concerning  whom, 
however,  he  thinks  with  himself  at  home,  that  she  is 
nothing  but  a  vile  prostitute,  whom  I  will  make  believe 
that  I  love  her,  because  she  favors  my  lust ;  but  if  she 
did  not  favor  it,  I  would  reject  her.     His  internal  man 
is  this  adulterer,  and  his  external  man  is  this  woman. 
226.    II.    That  if  man  afterwards  recedes  from  and 
7'uns  counter  to  them^  he  profanes  holy  things.     There 
are  many  kinds  of  profanation  of  what  is  holy,  which 
will   be   treated  of  in  the  following  article ;  but  this 
kind  is  the  most  grievous  of  all ;  for  they  who  are 
profaners  of  this  kind,  after  death  become  no  longer 
men :  they  live   indeed,  but  continually  in  fantastic 
deliriums  ;  they  appear  to  themselves  to  fly  on  high  ; 
and  when  they  are  permanent,  they  play  with  fanta- 
sies, which  they  see  as  real  things  ;  and  because  they 
are  no  longer  men,  they  are  not  called  he  or  she,  but 
it :  yea,  when  they  are  set  up  to  be  seen  in  the  light 
of  heaven,   they  appear  like  mummies ;    some  like 
mummies  of  a  bony  color,  some  as  fiery,  and  some  as 
burnt.     That  the  profane  of  this  kind  become  such 
after  death,  is  unknown  in  the  world ;  and  it  is  un- 
known, because   the  cause   is   unknown  :    the  cause 
itself  is,   that  when   man   first   acknowledges   divine 
things  and  believes  them,  and  afterwards  recedes  and 
denies  them,  he  then  mixes  holy  things  with  profane; 
which,  when   they  are  mixed,  can   no   otherwise  be 
separated,  than  by  the  destruction  of  the  whole.     But 
that  these  things  may  be  perceived  more  clearly,  they 
must  be  disclosed  in  their  order,  which  shall  be  this. 
1.  That  whatever  man  thinks,  speaks  and  does  from 
the  will,  is  appropriated  to  him,  and  remains,  as  well 
good  as  evil.     2.  But  that  the  Lord  by  His  Divine 
Providence  continually  takes  care  and  disposes,  that 
evil  should  be  by  itself,  and  good  by  itself,  and  thus 
that  they  may  be  separated.     3.  But  that  this  cannot 
be  done,  if  man  first  acknowledges  the  truths  of  faith 
and  lives  according  to  them,  and  afterwards  recedes 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  217 

and  denies  them.  4.  That  he  then  mixes  good  and 
evil,  so  far  that  they  cannot  be  separated.  5.  And 
because  good  and  evil  must  be  separated  with  every 
man,  and  cannot  be  separated  with  such  an  one,  that 
therefore  he  is  destroyed  as  to  everything  truly  human. 
227.  These  are  the  causes  on  account  of  which 
such  enormity  exists,  but  because  they  are  in  obscu- 
rity from  ignorance  of  them,  they  must  be  explained, 
that  they  may  be  manifest  before  the  understanding. 
First  :  That  whatever  man  thinks,  speaks  or  does  fro?n 
the  IV ill,  is  appropriated  to  hint  and  remains,  as  well 
good  as  evil:  tliis  was  shown  above,  n.  78  to  81  ;  for 
man  has  an  external  or  natural  memory,  and  he  has 
an  internal  or  spiritual  memory  :  on  the  latter  memo- 
ry are  inscribed  each  and  all  things  whatever  he  had 
thought,  spoken  and  done  in  the  world  from  the  will ; 
and  so  far  each  and  all,  that  not  one  is  wanting  :  this 
memory  is  the  book  of  his  life,  which  is  opened  after 
death,  and  according  to  which  he  is  judged.  Con- 
cerning this  memory  more  things  are  adduced  from 
experience  in  the  work  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell, 
n.  461  to  465.  Secondly:  But  tliat  the  Lord  by  His 
Divine  Providence  continnally  takes  care  and  disposes, 
that  evil  should  be  by  itself,  and  good  by  itself,  and 
thus  that  they  should  be  separated:  every  man  is  in 
evil  as  well  as  in  good  ;  for  he  is  in  evil  from  himself, 
and  in  good  from  the  Lord  ;  and  man  cannot  live 
unless  he  is  in  both  ;  for  if  he  were  in  himself  alone, 
and  thus  in  evil  alone,  he  would  not  have  anything  of 
life  ;  and  if  in  the  Lord  alone,  and  thus  in  good  alone, 
neither  would  he  have  anything  of  life;  for  man  in 
the  latter  kind  of  life  would  be  like  one  suftbcated, 
continually  gasping  for  breath,  as  if  ready  to  die  in 
agony ;  and  in  the  former  kind  of  life  he  would 
become  extinct,  for  evil  without  any  good  in  itself  is 
dead  ;  wherefore  every  man  is  in  both  :  but  the  difier- 
ence  is,  that  the  one  is  interiorly  in  the  Lord,  and  exte- 
riorly as  if  in  himself;  and  the  other  interiorly  in 
himself,  but  exteriorly  as  if  in  the  Lord  ;  and  the  lat- 
ter is  in  evil,  and  the  former  in  good  ;  but  yet  each  in 
19 


218  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

both  :  that  the  evil  is  also,  is  because  he  is  in  the  good 
of  civil   and  moral   life,  and   also  exteriorly  in  some 
good  of  spiritual  life;  besides  that  he  is  held  by  the 
Lord   in   rationality  and   liberty,  that  he  may  be  in 
good  :  this  is  the  good,  by  which  every  man,  even  the 
evil,  is  led  of  the  Lord.     From  these  things  it  may  be 
seen,  that  the  Lord  separates  evil  and  good,  that  the 
one  may  be  interior  and  the  other  exterior ;  and  thus 
takes  care  lest  they  be  mixed.     Thirdly  :  Btit  that 
this  cannot  be  ofowe,  if  man  first   acknowledges  the 
truths  of  faith,  and  lives  according  to  them,  and  after- 
wards recedes  from  and  denies  them:  this  is  manifest 
from  the  things  just  now  said  ;  in  the  first  place,  that 
all  things  which  man  thinks,  speaks  and  does  from 
the  will,  are  appropriated  to  him  and  remain ;  and  in 
the  second,  that  the  Lord  by  His  Divine  Providence 
continually  takes  care  and  disposes  that  good  should  be 
by  itself,  and  evil  by  itself,  and  that  they  may  be  sepa- 
rated :  they  are  also  separated  by  the  Lord  after  death; 
with  those  who  interiorly  are  evil  and  exteriorly  are 
good,   the  good   is    taken    away,  and  thus  they  are 
left  to  their  evil ;  it  is   the  contrary  with  those  who 
interiorly  are  good  and  exteriorly  like  other  men  have 
scraped   together   wealth,   have   sought  for   dignities, 
have  been  delighted  with  various  worldly  things,  and 
favored  certain  concupiscences:   with  these,  however, 
good  and  evil  are  not  mixed,  but  are  separated  like 
internal  and  external ;   thus  in  the  external  form  they 
were  like  the  evil  in  many  things,  yet  not  in  the  inter- 
nal :  on  the  contrary,  the  evil  also,  who  in  the  exter- 
nal form  have  appeared  as  if  good,  in  piety,  worship, 
speech  and  deeds,  and  yet  in  the  internal  form  were 
evil ;  with  these  evil  is  also  separated  from  good.     But 
Avith  those  who  have  first  acknowledged  the  truths  of 
faith,  and   lived   according  to  them,  and   have  after- 
wards run  counter  to  and  rejected  them,  and  especially 
if  they  have  denied    them,  goods   and   evils  are  no 
longer   separated,    but   mixed ;    for  such   a  man   has 
appropriated  good   to  himself,  and  has  also  appropri- 
ated evil  to  himself,  and  thus  has  conjoined  and  mixed 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  219 

them.  Fourthly  :  That  he  then  mixes  good  and  evil, 
so  far ^  that  they  cannot  he  separated,  follows  from  the 
things  just  now  said  ;  and  if  evil  cannot  be  separated 
from  good,  and  good  from  evil,  he  cannot  be  in  heaven 
nor  in  hell :  every  man  must  be  either  in  the  one  or 
in  the  other  ;  he  cannot  be  in  both  ;  for  thus  he  would 
be  now  in  heaven,  and  now  in  hell ;  and  while  in 
heaven  would  act  in  favor  of  hell,  and  while  in  hell 
would  act  in  favor  of  heaven,  thus  would  destroy  the 
life  of  all  who  were  around  him,  heavenly  life  with 
the  angels,  and  infernal  life  with  devils,  from  which 
the  life  of  every  one  would  perish  ;  for  the  life  of 
every  one  must  be  his  own :  no  one  lives  in  another's 
life,  still  less  in  an  opposite  one.  Hence  it  is,  that 
with  every  man  after  death,  when  he  becomes  a  spirit 
or  a  spiritual  man,  the  Lord  separates  good  from  evil 
and  evil  from  good  ;  good  from  evil  with  those  who 
interiorly  are  in  evil,  and  evil  from  good  with  those 
who  interiorly  are  in  good :  which  is  according  to  His 
words.  To  every  one  that  hath  shall  be  given  and  he 
shall  abound,  and  from  him  who  hath  not,  even  what 
he  hath  shall  be  taken  aicay,  Matt.  xiii.  12,  and  xxv. 
29,  Mark  iv.  25,  Luke  viii.  18,  and  xix.  26.  Fifthly  : 
Because  good  and  evil  must  be  separated  with  every 
inan,  and  cannot  he  separated  with  such  an  one,  that 
therefore  as  to  everything  trnly  human  he  is  destroyed: 
every  one  has  what  is  truly  human  from  rationality, 
that  he  may  see  and  know,  if  he  will,  what  is  true 
and  what  is  good,  and  also  that  he  may  will,  think, 
speak  and  do  it  from*  liberty,  as  has  been  shown 
before  ;  but  this  liberty  with  its  rationality  is  destroy- 
ed with  those  who  have  mixed  good  and  evil  with 
themselves  ;  for  they  cannot  from  good  see  evil,  nor 
from  evil  become  acquainted  with  good,  for  they  make 
one  ;  hence  they  no  longer  have  rationality  in  faculty 
or  in  potency,  and  hence  neither  any  liberty  :  which 
is  the  cause  that  they  are  like  mere  fantastic  deliri- 
ums, as  was  said  above  ;  and  no  more  appear  like 
men,  but  like  some  bones  covered  with  skin ;  and 
hence,  when  they  are  named,  they  are  not  called  he 


220  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

or  she,  but  it :  such  lot  have  those  who  in  this  man- 
ner mix  holy  things  with  profane  :  but  there  are  many 
kinds  of  profanation,  which  still  are  not  such  ;  which 
will  be  treated  of  in  the  following  article. 

228.  No  man  thus  profanes  holy  things,  who  does 
not  know  them  ;  for  he  who  does  not  know  them, 
cannot  acknowledge  them,  and  then  deny  them; 
wherefore  they  who  are  out  of  the  christian  world, 
and  do  not  know  anything  concerning  the  Lord,  and 
concerning  redemption  and  salvation  by  Him,  do  not 
profane  that  holy  thing,  when  they  do  not  receive  it, 
yea,  when  they  speak  against  it.  Neither  do  the  Jews 
themselves  profane  that  holy  thing,  because  from 
infancy  they  are  not  willing  to  receive  and  acknowl- 
edge it ;  it  would  be  otherwise,  if  they  received  and 
acknowledged,  and  afterwards  denied ;  which  yet  is 
rarely  done  ;  for  many  of  them  acknowledge  it  exte- 
riorly, and  deny  it  interiorly,  and  are  like  hypocrites. 
But  those  profane  holy  things  by  the  mixture  of  them 
with  profane  things,  who  first  receive  and  acknowl- 
edge, and  afterwards  go  away  and  deny.  It  effects 
nothing,  that  they  received  and  acknowledged  in 
infancy  and  childhood:  every  christian  does  this;  be- 
cause they  do  not  then  receive  and  acknowledge  those 
things  which  are  of  faith  and  charity  from  any  rational- 
ity and  liberty,  that  is,  in  the  understanding  from  the 
will,  but  only  from  memory  and  from  trust  in  a  mas- 
ter; and  if  they  live  according  to  them,  it  is  from  a 
blind  obedience :  but  when  man  comes  into  the  use 
of  his  rationality  and  liberty,  which  is  done  success- 
ively as  he  grows  up  and  becomes  a  man,  if  he  then 
acknowledges  truths  and  lives  according  to  them,  and 
afterwards  denies  them,  he  mixes  holy  with  profane 
things,  and  from  a  man  becomes  such  a  monster  as 
was  described  above.  But  if  man  is  in  evil,  from  the 
time  when  he  has  become  of  his  own  rationality  and 
liberty,  that  is,  at  his  own  direction,  even  to  manhood, 
and  afterwards  acknowledges  the  truths  of  faith  and 
lives  according  to  them,  provided  he  then  remains  in 
them  until  the  end  of  life,  he  does  not  mix  them;  for 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  221 

the  Lord  then  separates  tlie  evils  of  his  former  hfe 
from  the  goods  of  his  after  Hfe  :  thus  it  happens  with 
all  who  repent.  But  more  will  be  said  concerning 
these  things  in  the  following  pages. 

229.  III.  That  there  are  very  many  kinds  of  the 
profanation  of  lohut  is  holy,  and  that  this  kind  is  the 
worst  of  all.  In  the  most  general  sense,  hy  profana- 
tion is  understood  all  impiety ;  thus  by  profaners  are 
understood  all  the  impious,  who  in  heart  deny  God,  the 
sanctity  of  the  Word,  and  hence  the  spiritual  things 
of  the  church ;  which  are  the  holy  things  themselves, 
concerning  which  they  also  speak  impiously.  But 
these  are  not  here  treated  of;  but  those  who  profess 
God,  establish  the  sanctity  of  the  Word,  and  acknowl- 
edge the  spiritual  things  of  the  church ;  yet  most  of 
them  only  with  the  mouth  :  the  reason  that  these  pro- 
fane, is  because  what  is  holy  from  the  Word  is  in 
them  and  with  them  ;  and  this  which  is  in  them,  and 
which  makes  a  part  of  their  understanding  and  will, 
they  profane  :  but  yet  in  the  impious,  who  deny  the 
Divine  and  divine  things,  there  is  not  anything  holy 
which  they  can  profane  :  these  are  indeed  profaners, 
but  still  not  the  profane. 

230.  The  profanation  of  what  is  holy  is  understood 
in  the  second  commandment  of  the  decalogue  by 
Thou  shalt  not  profane  the  Name  of  thy  God  :  and 
that  profaning  must  not  be  done,  is  understood  in  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  by  Hallowed  be  thy  Name  :  what  is 
understood  by  the  name  of  God,  is  scarcely  known  by 
any  one  in  the  christian  world  :  the  reason  is,  because 
it  is  not  known  that  in  the  spiritual  world  there  are 
not  names  as  in  the  natural  world,  but  that  every  one 
is  named  according  to  the  quality  of  his  love  and  wis- 
dom ;  for  as  soon  as  any  one  comes  into  society  or 
participation  with  others,  he  is  forthwith  named 
according  to  his  quality  there  :  the  naming  is  done  by 
spiritual  speech,  which  is  such  that  it  can  give  a  name 
to  everything;  because  there  each  letter  in  the  alpha- 
bet signifies  one  thing,  and  the  several  letters  joined 
into  one  word,  which  make  a  person's  name,  involve 

19=^ 


222  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

the  entire  state  of  the  thing  :  this  is  among  the  won- 
derful things  in  the  spiritual  world.  From  these 
things  it  is  manifest,  that  by  the  name  of  God  in  the 
Word  is  signified  God  with  every  divine  thing  which 
is  in  Him,  and  which  proceeds  from  Him  ;  and  be- 
cause the  Word  is  the  proceeding  Divine,  it  is  the 
name  of  God  ;  and  because  all  the  divine  things, 
which  are  called  the  spiritual  things  of  the  church, 
are  from  the  Word,  they  also  are  the  name  of  God. 
From  these  things  it  may  be  seen  what  is  understood 
in  the  second  commandment  of  the  decalogue  by 
Thou  shalt  not  profaiie  the  name  of  God ;  and  in  the 
Lord's  Prayer  by  Hallowed  he  tJiy  Name.  Like  things 
are  signified  by  the  name  of  God  and  of  the  Lord  in 
many  places  in  the  Word  of  both  Testaments,  as  in 
Matt.  vii.  22;  x.  22;  xviii.  5,20;  xix.  29;  xxi.  9; 
xxiv.  9,  10;  John  i.  12;  ii.  23;  iii.  17,  18;  xii.  13, 
28;  xiv.  14,  15,  16;  xvi.  23,  24,  26,  27;  xvii.  6;  xx. 
31  ;  besides  other  places,  and  very  many  in  the  Old 
Testament.  He  who  knows  this  signification  of 
name,  can  know  what  is  signified  by  these  words  of 
the  Lord,  Whoeve?-  receives  a  jiro'phet  in  the  name  of  a 
projiJiet^  shall  receive  a  prophet's  reward  :  whoever  re- 
ceives ajnst  one  in  the  name  of  a  just  one^  shall  receive 
a  just  one^  s  reward :  and  whoever  shall  give  drink  to 
one  of  these  little  ones  in  a  cup  of  cold  water  only  in 
the  7iame  of  a  disciple,  he  shall  not  lose  his  reward : 
Matt.  X.  21  :  he  who,  by  the  name  of  a  prophet,  a 
just  one,  and  a  disciple,  understands  here  only  a 
prophet,  a  just  one,  and  a  disciple,  does  not  know  any 
other  sense  therein  than  only  the  sense  of  the  letter; 
and  neither  does  he  know  wliat  a  prophet's  reward,  a 
just  one's  reward,  and  a  reward  for  a  cup  of  cold 
water  given  to  a  disciple,  are  ;  when  yet,  by  the  name 
and  the  reward  of  a  prophet,  is  understood  the  state 
and  happiness  of  those  who  are  in  divine  truths  ;  by 
the  name  and  the  reward  of  a  just  one,  the  state  and 
happiness  of  those  who  are  in  divine  goods  ;  and  by  a 
disciple,  the  state  of  those  who  are  in  some  of  the 
spiritual  things  of  the  church;   a  cup  of  cold  water  is 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  223 

some  truth.  That  the  qiiaUty  of  the  state  of  love  and 
Avisdom,  or  of  good  and  truth,  is  signified  by  a  name,  is 
evident  also  from  these  words  of  the  Ijord :  He  who 
enterelh  by  the  door,  is  the  shepherd  of  the  sheep  ;  to 
him  the  door-keeper  openeth,  and  the  sheefp  hear  his 
voice,  and  he  calleth  his  own  sheep  by  name,  and  lead- 
eth  them  out,  John  x.  2,  3 :  to  call  the  sheep  by 
name,  is  to  teach  and  lead  every  one  who  is  in  the 
good  of  charity,  according  to  the  state  of  his  love  and 
wisdom  :  by  the  door  is  understood  the  Lord,  as  is 
evident  from  verse  9  there,  /  am  the  door ;  by  me  if 
any  one  enter  in,  he  shall  be  saved ;  from  which  it  is 
manifest,  that  the  Lord  Himself  must  be  approached, 
that  one  may  be  saved  ;  and  he  who  goes  to  Him  is 
the  shepherd  of  the  sheep  ;  and  he  who  does  not  go  to 
Him  is  a  thief  and  a  robber,  as  is  said  in  verse  1  of 
that  chapter. 

23L  Since  by  the  profanation  of  what  is  holy,  is 
understood  profanation  by  those  who  know  the  truths 
of  faith  and  the  goods  of  charity  from  the  Word,  and 
also  in  some  manner  acknowledge  them,  and  not  those 
who  do  not  know  them,  neither  who  from  impiety 
altogether  reject  them,  therefore  the  following  things 
are  not  spoken  concerning  the  latter,  but  concerning 
the  former  :  the  kinds  of  profanation  of  these  are  very 
many,  the  lighter  and  the  more  grievous;  but  they 
may  be  reduced  to  these  seven.  The  first  kind  of 
PROFANATION  IS  BY  THOSE,  loho  jest  from  the  Word  and 
concerning  the  Word,  or  from  the  divine  things  of  the 
church  and  concerning  them  :  this  is  done  by  some 
from  a  depraved  habit,  by  taking  names  or  phrases 
from  the  Word,  and  mixing  them  with  discourse 
hardly  decent  and  sometimes  filthy  ;  which  cannot  but 
be  connected  with  some  contempt  for  the  Word  ;  when 
yet  the  Word  in  each  and  all  things  is  divine  and  holy  ; 
for  every  word  therein  stores  up  in  its  bosom  some- 
thing divine,  and  thereby  it  has  communication  with 
heaven :  but  this  kind  of  profanation  is  lighter  or 
more  grievous,  according  to  the  acknowledgment  of 
the  sanctity  of  the  Word,  and  the  indecency  of  speech 


224  ANGELIO    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

in  which  it  is  introduced  by  the  jesters.  The  second 
KIND  of  profanation  IS  BY  THOSE,  v^lio  Understand  and 
ackiiowledge  divine  truths^  and  yet  live  contrary  to  them; 
yet  those  profane  more  Hghtly  who  only  understand, 
but  those  more  grievously  who  also  acknowledge  ;  for 
the  understanding  only  teaches,  scarcely  otherwise 
than  as  a  preacher,  and  does  not  of  itself  conjoin  itself 
with  the  will ;  but  acknowledgment  does  conjoin 
itself,  for  nothing  can  be  acknowledged,  except  with 
the  consent  of  the  will :  but  still  this  conjunction  is 
various,  and  according  to  the  conjunction  is  the  pro- 
fanation, when  a  life  is  led  contrary  to  the  truths 
which  are  acknowledged :  as,  if  one  acknowledges 
that  revenge  and  hatred,  adulteries  and  fornications, 
frauds  and  deceits,  blasphemies  and  lies,  are  sins 
against  God,  and  still  commits  them,  he  is  in  this 
more  grievous  kind  of  profanation  ;  for  the  Lord  says, 
"  The  servant  who  knows  his  Lord's  will,  and  does 
not  do  his  will,  shall  be  beaten  with  many  stripes;" 
Luke  xii.  48.  And  again,  "If  ye  were  blind,  ye 
would  not  have  sin  ;  but  now  ye  say  we  see,  therefore 
your  sin  remauieth  ;"  John  ix.  4L  But  it  is  one  thing 
to  acknowledge  appearances  of  truth,  and  another  to 
acknowledge  genuine  truths  :  they  who  acknowledge 
genuine  truths,  and  still  do  not  live  according  to  them, 
appear  in  the  world  of  spirits  without  the  light  and 
heat  of  life  in  the  sound  and  speech,  as  if  they  were 
mere  inactivities.  The  third  kind  of  profanation  is 
BY  THOSE,  v^lio  apply  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word  to 
confinnin g  evil  loves  and  false  principles  :  the  reason 
is,  because  the  confirmation  of  falsity  is  the  denial  of 
the  truth,  and  the  confirmation  of  evil  is  the  rejection 
of  good  ;  and  the  Word  in  its  bosom  is  nothing  but 
divine  truth  and  divine  good  ;  and  this,  in  the  ultimate 
sense,  which  is  the  sense  of  the  letter,  does  not  appear 
in  genuine  truths,  except  where  it  teaches  the  Lord 
and  the  way  itself  of  salvation,  but  in  clothed  truths, 
which  are  called  appearances  of  truth ;  wherefore 
that  sense  can  be  turned  aside  to  confirming  heretical 
things  of  many  kinds  :  but  he  who  confirms  evil  loves, 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  225 

offers  violence  to  divine  goods  ;  he  who  confirms  false 
principles  offers  violence  to  divine  truths:  the  latter 
violence  is  called  the  falsification  of  truth,  but  the 
former  the  adulteration  of  good ;  both  are  understood 
in  the  Word  by  blood  :  for  the  spiritual  Holy,  which 
is  also  the  spirit  of  truth  proceeding  from  the  Lord,  is 
within  in  each  thing  of  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word  ; 
this  holy  is  harmed,  when  the  Word  is  falsified  and 
adulterated  :  that  this  is  profananation,  is  manifest. 
The  fourth  kind  of  profanation  is  by  those,  ii-Jio 
speak  jnous  and  holy  things  with  the  mouthy  and  also 
counterfeit  by  sonnd  and  gestvre  the  affection  of  the 
love  of  thern^  and  yet  in  heart  do  not  believe  and  love 
them.  Most  of  these  are  hypocrites  and  pharisees, 
from  whom  after  death  all  truth  and  good  is  taken 
away  ;  and  then  they  are  sent  into  outer  darkness. 
Those  of  this  kind,  who  have  confirmed  themselves 
against  the  Divine,  and  against  the  Word,  and  hence 
also  against  the  spiritual  things  of  the  Word,  sit  in  that 
darkness  mute,  unable  to  speak,  wishing  to  prate  out 
pious  and  holy  things,  as  in  the  world,  but  cannot : 
for  in  the  spiritual  world  every  one  is  compelled  to 
speak  as  he  thinks  :  but  the  hypocrite  wishes  to  speak 
otherwise  than  he  thinks  ;  hence  exists  opposition  in 
the  mouth,  from  which  it  is  that  he  can  only  mutter. 
But  hypocrisies  are  lighter  or  more  grievous,  accord- 
ing to  confirmations  against  God  and  reasonings  in 
favor  of  God  exteriorly.  The  fifth  kind  of  profa- 
nation IS  BY  THOSE,  who  attribute  divine  things  to 
themselves :  it  is  they  who  are  understood  by  Lucifer 
in  Isaiah  xiv. :  by  Lucifer  is  there  understood- Babel, 
as  may  be  evident  fi'om  verses  4  and  22  of  that  chap- 
ter ;  where  also  their  lot  is  described :  they  are  the 
same  also  who  are  understood  by  the  whore  sitting 
upon  the  scarlet  beast,  in  the  Apocalypse,  chapter 
xvii.  Babel  and  Chaldea  are  named  in  many  places 
in  the  Word,  and  by  Babel  is  there  understood  the 
profanation  of  good,  and  by  Chaldea  the  profanation 
of  truth  ;  both  of  them  with  those  who  attribute  divine 
things   to   themselves.      The  sixth  kind  of  profana- 


226  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

TiON  IS  BY  THOSE,  idIw  acknoioled^e  the  Word,  and 
still  deny  the  Divine  of  the  Lord  :  these  are  called  in 
the  world  Sociniaus,  and  some  Arians;  the  lot  of  the  for- 
mer and  the  latter  is,  that  they  invoke  the  Father,  and 
not  the  Lord,  and  continually  pray  the  Father,  some 
also  for  the  sake  of  the  Son,  that  they  may  be  admit- 
ted into  heaven,  but  in  vain,  until  they  become  with- 
out hope  of  salvation  ;  and  then  they  are  let  down 
into  hell  among  those  who  deny  God  :  it  is  these  who 
are  understood  by  those  who  blaspheme  the  Holy 
Spirit,  to  whom  it  is  not  remitted  in  this  age  nor  in  the 
future,  Matt.  xii.  32  :  the  reason  is,  because  God  is 
one  in  person  and  essence,  in  whom  is  a  trinity,  and 
that  God  is  the  Lord  ;  and  because  the  Lord  is  also 
heaven,  and  hence  they  who  are  in  heaven  are  in  the 
Lord,  therefore  they  who  deny  the  Divine  of  the  Lord 
cannot  be  admitted  into  heaven,  and  be  in  the  Lord: 
that  the  Lord  is  heaven,  and  hence  that  they  who  are 
in  heaven  are  in  the  Lord,  has  been  shown  above. 
The  seventh  kind  of  profanation  is  by  those,  tvho 
first  acknoiiiledge  divine  truths  and  live  according  to 
them,  and  afterwards  recede  from  and  deny  them: 
this  is  the  worst  kind  of  profanation,  for  the  reason 
that  they  mix  holy  things  with  profane,  so  far  that 
they  cannot  be  separated ;  and  yet  they  must  be 
separated,  that  they  may  be  either  in  heaven  or  in  hell ; 
and  because  this  carmot  be  done  with  them,  all  the 
human  intellectual  and  voluntary  is  rooted  out,  and 
they  become  no  longer  men,  as  was  said  before. 
Nearly  the  like  takes  place  with  those  who  acknowl- 
edge in  heart  the  divine  things  of  the  Word  and  of  the 
church,  and  altogether  immerse  them  in  their  pro- 
prium,  which  is  the  love  of  ruling  over  all  things, 
concerning  which  many  things  have  been  said  before : 
for  these,  after  death,  when  they  become  spirits,  are 
altogether  unwilling  to  be  led  by  the  Lord,  but  by 
themselves  ;  and  when  the  bridle  is  relaxed  to  their 
love,  they  wish  not  only  to  rule  over  heaven,  but  also 
over  the  Lord  ;  and  because  they  cannot  do  this,  they 
deny  the  Lord,  and  become  devils.  It  is  to  be  known, 
that  the  life's  love,  which  is  also  the  reigning  love, 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  227 

remains  to  every  one  after  death,  and  that  it  cannot 
be  taken  away.  The  profane  of  this  kind  are  under- 
stood by  the  hikewarm,  concerning  whom  it  is  thus 
written  in  the  Apocalypse  :  /  knoio  thy  works^  that 
tho7i  art  neither  cold  nor  hot;  I  would  that  thou  wert 
cold  or  hot ;  but  because  thou  art  lukeivarm^  and  nei- 
ther cold  nor  hot,  I  will  spew  thee  out  of  my  mouth  ; 
iii.  14,  15.  This  kind  of  profanation  is  described 
by  the  Lord  thus  in  Matthew:  When  the  unclean 
spirit  has  gone  out  of  a  man,  it  loalketh  through  dry 
places,  seeking  rest,  but  findeth  not ;  theii  it  saith, 
I  will  turn  back  unto  my  house  whence  I  came  out ; 
when,  it  returneth  and  findeth  it  empty,  swept  and  fur- 
nished, it  goeth  aicay,  and  taketh  to  itself  seven  other 
spirits  xDorse  than  itself,  and  entering  in  they  dioell 
there,  and  the  last  things  of  that  man  become  ivorse 
than  the  first :  xii.  43  to  45  :  the  conversion  of  man 
is  here  described  by  the  going  forth  of  the  unclean 
spirit  from  him ;  and  the  turning  back  to  former 
evils,  the  truths  and  goods  being  cast  out,  by  the 
retnrn  of  the  unclean  spirit  with  seven  worse  than 
itself  into  the  house  furnished  for  itself;  and  the  pro- 
fanation of  what  is  holy  by  a  profane  one,  by  the  last 
things  of  that  man  becoming  worse  than  the  first. 
The  like  is  understood  by  this  in  John  :  Jes7/s  said 
to  the  one  cured  in  the  pool  of  Bethesda,  sin  no  more 
lest  worse  happen  to  thee:  v.  14.  That  the  Lord  pro- 
vides that  man  should  not  interiorly  acknowledge 
truths,  and  afterwards  recede,  and  become  profane,  is 
understood  by  these  words :  He  hath  blinded  their 
eyes  and  hardened  their  hearts,  lest  they  should  see 
ivith  the  eyes  and  understand  trith  the  heart,  and 
should  turn  themselves  roinid,  and  I  should  heal  them: 
John  xii.  40:  lest  they  should  turn  themselves  round 
and  I  should  heal  them,  signifies  lest  they  should  ac- 
knowledge truths  and  then  recede,  and  thus  become 
profane  :  for  the  same  cause  the  Lord  spoke  by  para- 
bles, as  He  says.  Matt.  xiii.  13.  That  it  was  prohib- 
ited to  the  Jews  to  eat  the  fat  and  the  blood.  Lev.  iii. 
17;  vii.  23,  25,  signified  that  they  should  not  profane 
holy  things;    for  fat  signified   the  divine   good,   and 


228  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

blood  the  divine  truth.  That  the  once  converted  will 
remain  in  good  and  truth  to  the  end  of  life,  the  Lord 
teaches  in  Matt.  :  Jesus  said,  Whoever  shall  perse- 
vere  to  the  end  will  be  saved,  x.  22 :  so,  too,  Mark 
xiii.  13. 

232.    IV,    That  the  Lord  therefore  does  not  let  man 
interiorly  into   the  triitlis  of  wisdom  and  at  the  same 
tvme  into  the  goods  of  love,  except  so  far  as  man  can  he 
kept  in  them  until  the  end  of  life.     The  demonstration 
of  this  must  be  proceeded  in  methodically,  for  two 
reasons  ;  one,  because  it  is  of  concern  to  human  sal- 
vation ;  the  other,  because  on  the  knowledge  of  this 
lav\'-  depends  the  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  permission, 
to  be  treated  of  in  the  following  chapter  :  for  it  is  of 
concern  to  human  salvation,  because,  as  was   said 
before,  he  that  first  acknowledges  the  divine  things  of 
the  Word  and  thence  of  the  church,  and  afterwards 
recedes    from   them,   most    grievously  profanes    holy 
things.     Therefore  that  this  arcanum  of  the  Divine 
Providence  may  be  disclosed,  so  that  the  rational  man 
may  see  it  in  its  light,  it  must  be  unfolded  in  this 
series.     1.  That  in  the  interiors  with  man  there  can- 
not be  evil  and  at  the  same  time  good,  hence  neither 
the  falsity  of  evil  and  at  the  same  time  the  truth  of 
good.     2.  That  good  and  the  truth  of  good  cannot  be 
introduced   by   the   Lord  into   the   interiors  of  man, 
except  so  far  as  evil  and  the  falsity  of  evil  is  removed 
there.     3.   If  good   with   its   truth   were   introduced 
there  sooner   or   more   than   evil  with   its  falsity  is 
removed,  man  would  recede  from  good,  and  go  back 
to    his    evil.     4.   That  when    man    is   in  evil,  many 
truths  may  be  introduced  into  his  understanding,  and 
these  be  stored  up  in  the  memory,  and  yet  not  be  pro- 
faned.    5.   But  that  the  Lord  by  His    Divine  Provi- 
dence takes  the  greatest  possible  care,  lest  it  should  be 
received  thence  by  the  will  sooner  and  more  than  as 
far  as  man  removes  evil  as  of  himself  in  the  external 
man.     6.  That  if  it  were  done  sooner  and  more,  then 
the  will   would  adulterate  the  good,  and  the  under- 
standing would  falsify  the  truth,  by  mixing  them  with 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  22f9' 

evils  and  with  falsities.  7.  That  therefore  the  Lord 
does  not  let  man  interiorly  into  the  truths  of  wisdom 
and  into  the  goods  of  love,  except  so  far  as  man  can 
be  kept  in  them  until  the  end  of  life. 

233.  Therefore  that  this  arcanum  of  the  Divine 
Providence  may  be  unfolded,  so  that  the  rational  man 
may  see  it  in  its  light,  these  things  which  have  now 
been  stated,  must  be  explained  singly.  First  :  That 
in  the  interiors  with  men  there  cannot  he  evil  and  at 
the  same  time  good,  and  hence  neither  the  falsity  of 
evil  and  at  the  same  time  the  good  of  truth :  by  the  inte- 
riors of  man  is  understood  the  internal  of  his  thought, 
concerning  which  man  knows  nothing,  before  he 
comes  into  the  spiritual  world  and  its  light;  which 
takes  place  after  death  :  in  the  natural  world  it  can 
be  known  only  from  the  delight  of  his  love  in  the 
external  of  his  thought,  and  from  evils  themselves, 
while  he  is  exploring  them ;  for,  as  was  shown  above, 
the  internal  of  thought  coheres  with  the  external  of 
thought  with  man  in  such  a  connection  that  they  can- 
not be  separated :  but  more  is  said  concerning  these 
things  above.  It  is  said,  good  and  the  truth  of  good, 
and  evil  and  the  falsity  of  evil ;  since  good  cannot  be 
given  without  its  truth,  nor  evil  without  its  falsity; 
for  they  are  partners  of  the  bed  or  consorts;  for  the 
life  of  good  is  from  its  truth,  and  the  life  of  truth  is 
from  its  good  :  it  is  the  like  with  evil  and  its  falsity. 
That  in  the  interiors  of  man  there  cannot  be  evil  with 
its  falsity,  and  at  the  same  time  good  with  its  truth, 
may  be  seen  by  the  rational  man  without  explana- 
tion ;  for  evil  is  opposite  to  good,  and  good  is  opposite 
to  evil ;  and  two  opposites  cannot  be  together  :  there 
is  implanted  also  in  all  evil  a  hatred  against  good, 
and  there  is  implanted  in  all  good  the  love  of  protect- 
ing itself  against  evil,  and  of  removing  it  from  itself: 
from  which  it  follows,  that  the  one  cannot  be  together 
with  the  other;  and  if  they  should  be  together,  there 
would  first  arise  conflict  and  combat,  and  then  de- 
struction :  which  also  the  Lord  teaches  by  these 
words :  "  Every  kingdom  divided  against  itself  is 
20 


230  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

desolated,  and  every  city  or  house  divided  against 
itself  does  not  stand.  Whoever  is  not  with  Me,  is 
against  Me ;  and  whoever  does  not  gather  with  Me, 
scattereth,"  Matt.  xii.  30  :  and  elsewhere.  "  No  one 
can  serve  two  masters  at  the  same  time  ;  for  he  will 
either  hate  the  one,  or  will  love  the  other,"  Matt.  vi. 
24.  Two  opposites  cannot  be  given  at  the  same  time 
in  one  substance  or  form,  without  its  being  torn  asun- 
der and  perishing;  if  the  one  should  approach  and 
draw  near  to  the  other,  they  would  altogether  separate 
themselves ;  like  two  enemies,  one  of  which  betakes 
himself  within  his  camp  or  within  his  fortifications, 
and  the  other  out  of  it :  thus  it  happens  with  evils 
and  goods  in  a  hypocrite  ;  he  is  in  both  ;  but  the  evil 
is  within  and  the  good  is  without,  and  thus  the  two 
are  separated,  and  not  mixed.  From  these  things  it 
is  then  manifest,  that  evil  with  its  falsity,  and  good 
with  its  truth,  cannot  be  together.  Secondly  :  That 
good  and  the  trvth  of  good  cannot  he  introduced  by  the 
Lord  into  the  interiors  of  man,  except  so  far  as  evil 
and  the  falsity  of  evil  is  removed  there  :  this  is  the 
very  consequence  of  the  foregoing  things  ;  for,  since 
evil  and  good  cannot  be  together,  good  cannot  be 
introduced  before  evil  is  removed.  It  is  said,  in  the 
interiors  of  man,  by  which  is  understood  the  internal 
of  thought:  these  are  what  is  treated  of;  in  which 
either  the  Lord  must  be,  or  the  devil  must  be :  the 
Lord  is  there  after  reformation,  and  the  devil  is  there 
before  it;  as  far  therefore  as  man  suffers  himself  to 
be  reformed,  so  far  the  devil  is  cast  out;  but  as  far  as 
he  does  not  suffer  himself  to  be  reformed,  so  far  the 
devil  remains  :  who  does  not  see  that  the  Lord  cannot 
enter,  as  long  as  the  devil  is  there  7  and  he  is  there  as 
long  as  man  holds  the  door  shut,  in  which  man  is 
together  with  the  Lord  :  that  the  liOrd  enters,  when 
the  door  is  opened  by  the  means  of  man,  the  Lord 
teaches  in  the  Apocalypse  :  "I  stand  at  the  door  and 
knock ;  if  any  one  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door, 
I  will  come  in  unto  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and 
he  with  Me,"  iii.  20  :  the  door  is  opened  by  man's 
removing  evil,  by  shunning  and  loathing  it  as  infer- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  231 

nal  and  diabolical ;  for  whether  it  is  said  evil  or  the 
devil,  it  is  the  same ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  whether 
it  is  said  good  or  the  Lord,  it  is  the  same ;  for  in- 
wardly in  all  good  is  the  Lord,  and  inwardly  in 
all  evil  is  the  devil.  From  these  things  the  truth  of 
this  matter  is  manifest.  Thirdly  :  If  good  ivith  its 
truth  tcere  introduced  sooner  or  more  than  evil  with 
its  falsity  is  removed,  man  irould  recede  from  good, 
and  turn  back  to  his  evil:  the  reason  is,  because 
evil  would  prevail ;  and  that  which  prevails,  conquers; 
if  not  then,  still  afterwards  :  while  evil  as  yet  pre- 
vails, good  cannot  be  introduced  into  the  inmost 
apartments,  but  only  into  the  ante-rooms;  since,  as 
was  said,  evil  and  good  cannot  be  together;  and  that 
which  is  only  in  the  ante-rooms,  is  removed  by  its 
enemy,  who  is  in  the  apartments  :  hence  takes  place 
a  receding  from  good  and  a  turning  back  to  evil, 
•which  is  the  worst  kind  of  profanation.  Besides^  the 
very  delight  of  man's  life  is  to  love  himself  and  the 
world  above  all  things:  this  delight  cannot  be  removed 
in  a  moment,  but  successively ;  yet  as  much  of  this 
delight  as  remains  with  man,  so  much  evil  prevails- 
there;  and  this  evil  can  no  otherwise  be  removed, 
than  as  the  love  of  self  becomes  the  love  of  uses,  or 
as  the  love  of  ruling  is  not  for  its  own  sake,  but  for 
the  sake  of  uses ;  for  thus  uses  make  the  head,  and 
the  love  of  self  or  of  ruling  makes  first  the  body  under 
the  head,  and  afterwards  the  feet  upon  which  he 
walks:  who  does  not  see  that  good  should  make  the 
head  ?  and  that  when  good  makes  the  head,  the  Lord 
is  there?  good  and  use  are  one:  who  does  not  see, 
that  if  evil  makes  the  head,  the  devil  is  there'/  and, 
because  civil  and  moral  good  must  still  be  received, 
and  also  spiritual  good  in  external  form,  that  this 
then  makes  the  feet  and  soles,  and  is  trampled  upon  7 
Since  therefore  the  state  of  man's  life  must  be  invert- 
ed, that  what  is  above  may  be  below,  and  this  inver- 
sion cannot  be  given  in  a  moment,  for  the  greatest 
delight  of  life,  which  is  from  the  love  of  self  and 
thence  of  dominion,  cannot  be  diminished  and  turned 


232  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

into  the  love  of  uses  except  successively,  therefore 
good  cannot  be  introduced  by  the  Lord  sooner  and 
more  than  as  this  evil  is  removed;  and  if  sooner  and 
more,  man  would  recede  from  ^ood,  and  would  go 
back  to  his  evil.  Fourthly  :  That  ivhen  incm  is  in 
evil,  inany  truths  may  be  introduced  into  his  under- 
standing, and  these  stored  up  in  the  memory,  and  yet 
not  be  jirofaned:  the  reason  is,  because  the  under- 
standing does  not  flow  into  the  will,  but  the  will  into 
the  understanding ;  and  because  it  does  not  flow  into 
the  will,  many  truths  may  be  received  by  tlie  under- 
standing, and  these  be  stored  up  in  the  memory,  and 
yet  not  be  mixed  with  evil  of  the  will,  and  so  holy 
things  not  be  profaned  :  and  it  is  also  incumbent  upon 
every  one  to  learn  truths  from  the  Word  or  from 
preachings,  lay  them  up  in  the  memory,  and  think 
upon  them ;  for  the  understanding,  from  the  truths 
lliiich  arc  Til  the  mciViOry,  and  come  thence  into 
thought,  will  teach  the  will,  that  is,  will  teach  the 
man,  what  he  should  do ;  this  therefore  is  the  princi- 
pal means  of  reformation :  when  truths  are  only  in 
the  understanding,  cind  hence  iri  the  memory,  they 
are  not  in  the  man,  but  out  of  him.  The  memory  of 
man  may  be  compared  with  the  ruminatory  stomach 
in  certain  animals,  into  which  they  take  their  food ; 
which,  as  long  as  it  is  there,  is  not  in  their  body,  but 
out  of  it;  but  as  they  take  it  thence  and  swallow  it, 
it  becomes  of  their  life,  and  the  body  is  nourished: 
but  in  man's  memory  there  is  not  material  but  spirit- 
ual food,  wbich  is  understood  by  truths,  and  they 
are  in  themselves  thoughts ;  as  far  as  man  takes 
them  thence  by  thinking,  as  if  ruminating,  so  far  his 
spiritual  mind  is  nourished :  the  love  of  the  will 
is  what  desires,  and  as  it  were  has  appetite,  and 
causes  them  to  be  swallowed,  and  to  nourish  :  if  that 
love  is  evil,  it  desires  and  as  it  were  has  appetite  for 
unclean  things  ;  but  if  good,  it  desires  and  as  it  were 
has  appetite  for  clean  things  ;  and  those  which  are 
not  conformable  it  separates,  removes,  and  casts  out ; 
which  is  done  in  various  ways.     Fifthly  :  But  that 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  233 

the  Lord  by  His  Divine  Providence  takes  the  greatest 
'possible  care,  that  it  should,  not  be  received  thetice  by 
the  will  sooner  and  more  than  as  far  as  -man  as  of 
himself  removes  evil  in  the  external  man:  for  that 
which  is  received  by  the  will,  comes  into  the  man, 
and  is  appropriated  to  him,  and  becomes  of  his  hfe : 
and  in  the  hie  itself,  which  man  has  from  the  will, 
there  cannot  be  evil  and  good  at  the  same  time,  for 
thus  it  would  perish ;  but  in  the  understanding  there 
can  be  both,  which  are  there  called  falsities  of  evil  or 
truths  of  good,  but  yet  not  at  the  same  time,  other- 
wise man  could  not  see  evil  from  good,  and  know 
good  from  evil;  but  they  are  distinguished  and  sepa- 
rated there,  as  a  house  into  interior  and  exterior  parts: 
when  an  evil  man  thinks  and  speaks  good  things,  he 
then  thinks  and  speaks  exteriorly;  but  when  evil 
things,  then  interiorly ;  wherefore,  when  he  speaks 
good  things,  his  speech  is  made  as  from  a  wall,  and 
may  be  compared  to  fruit  fair  on  the  surface,  which 
inwardly  is  wormy  and  rotten,  and  also  to  a  dragon's 
egg,  beautiful  as  regards  the  shell.  Sixthly  :  That  if 
it  ivere  sooner  and  more,  then  the  will  woidd  adtdterate 
the  good,  and  the  understanding  would  falsify  the 
truth,  by  mixing  them  rcith  evils  and  thence  falsities : 
when  the  will  is  in  evil,  then  it  adulterates  good  in 
the  understanding ;  and  adulterated  good  in  the  un- 
derstanding is  evil  in  the  will ;  for  it  confirms  that 
evil  is  good,  and  the  contrary;  evil  does  thus  with  all 
good,  which  is  opposite  to  itself :  evil  also  falsifies  truth, 
because  the  truth  of  good  is  opposite  to  the  falsity  of 
evil :  this  also  the  will  does  in  the  understanding,  and 
not  the  understanding  of  itself  Adulterations  of 
good  are  described  in  the  Word  by  adulteries,  and 
falsifications  of  truth  by  whoredoms  therein.  These 
adulterations  and  falsifications  are  made  by  reason- 
ings from  the  natural  man  which  is  in  evil,  and  they 
are  also  made  by  confirmations  from  the  appearances 
of  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word.  The  love  of  self, 
which  is  the  head  of  all  evils,  surpasses  other  loves 
in  the  talent  of  adulterating  goods  and  falsifying 
20* 


234  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCEUNING 

truths;  and  it  does  this  by  the  abuse  of  rationahty, 
which  every  man,  as  well  evil  as  good,  has  from  the 
Lord ;  yea,  it  can  by  confirmations  make  evil  appear 
altogether  as  good,  and  falsity  as  truth:  what  can  it 
not?  when  it  can  confirm  by  a  thousand  arguments 
that  nature  created  itself,  and  that  it  then  created 
men,  beasts  and  vegetables  of  every  kind :  also,  that 
by  influx  from  its  interior  self  it  causes  men  to  live,  to 
think  analytically,  and  to  understand  wisely.  That 
the  love  of  self  surpasses  in  the  talent  of  confirming 
whatever  it  wishes,  is  because  a  certain  splendor  of 
light  variegated  into  various  colors  makes  its  outmost 
surface  ;  this  splendor  is  that  love's  glory  of  being 
wise,  and  thus  also  of  being  eminent  and  of  ruling. 
But  when  that  love  has  confirmed  such  things,  then 
it  becomes  so  blind,  that  it  does  not  see  otherwise 
than  that  man  is  a  beast,  and  that  they  think  in  like 
manner;  yea,  that  if  a  beast  could  also  speak,  it 
would  be  a  man  under  another  form :  if  it  were  led 
from  some  persuasion  to  believe  that  something  of 
man  lives  after  death,  then  it  is  so  blind  that  it  be- 
lieves that  a  beast  would  also,  and  that  this  something 
living  after  death  is  only  a  subtle  exhalement  of  life, 
like  vapor,  which  still  falls  back  to  its  carcass  ;  or 
that  it  is  something  vital  without  sight,  hearing,  and 
speech,  thus  blind,  deaf  and  dumb,  flying  about  and 
thinking;  besides  many  more  insanities,  which  nature 
itself,  which  in  itself  is  dead,  inspires  into  its  fantasy  : 
this  does  the  love  of  self,  which  in  itself  considered  is 
the  love  of  proprium;  and  the  proprium  of  man,  as 
to  affections,  all  which  are  natural,  is  not  unlike  the 
life  of  a  beast;  and  as  to  perceptions,  because  they 
are  from  those  affections,  is  not  unlike  an  owl : 
wherefore  he  who  continually  immerses  the  thoughts 
in  his  proprium,  cannot  be  elevated  out  of  natural 
light  into  spiritual  light,  and  see  anything  of  God, 
heaven,  and  eternal  life.  Because  this  love  is  such, 
and  still  surpasses  in  the  talent  of  confirming  what- 
ever it  pleases,  therefore  with  a  like  talent  also  it  can 
adulterate    the  goods   of  the  Word,    and  falsify  its 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  235 

truths,  when  it  is  held  by  some  necessity  to  confess 
them.  Seventhly  :  That  the  Lord  tlierefore  does  not 
let  man  interiorly  into  the  trvths  of  wisdom  and  into 
the  o-oods  of  love,  except  as  far  as  ma7i  can  be  kept  in 
them  until  the  end  of  life  :  the  Lord  does  this,  lest  man 
should  fall  into  that  most  grievous  kind  of  profanation 
of  what  is  holy,  which  is  treated  of  in  this  chapter  : 
on  account  of  that  danger,  the  Lord  also  permits  evils 
of  life  and  very  many  heretical  things  of  worship  ; 
concerning  the  permission  of  which  it  will  be  seen  in 
the  subsequent  articles. 


THAT    the    laws    OF    PERMISSION    ARE    ALSO    LAWS    OF    THE 
DIVINE    PROVIDENCE. 

234.  There  are  not  any  laws  of  permission  by  them- 
selves, or  separate  from  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence ;  but  they  are  the  same  ;  wherefore  it  is  said 
that  God  permits,  by  which  is  not  understood  that  he 
wills  it,  but  that  he  cannot  avert  it,  for  the  sake  of 
the  end,  which  is  salvation  :  whatever  is  done  for 
the  sake  of  the  end,  which  is  salvation,  is  accord- 
ing to  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Providence :  for,  as  was 
said  before,  the  Divine  Providence  perpetually  runs 
different  from  and  counter  to  the  will  of  man,  contin- 
ually intending  the  end;  wherefore,  in  every  moment 
of  its  operation,  or  in  every  step  of  its  progress,  when 
it  perceives  man  to  wander  from  the  end,  it  directs, 
bends  and  disposes  him  according  to  its  laws,  by  lead- 
ing him  away  from  evil,  and  leading  to  good  :  that 
this  cannot  be  done  without  the  permission  of  evil, 
will  be  seen  in  what  follows.  Besides,  nothing  can  be 
permitted  without  a  cause,  and  the  cause  is  nowhere 
else  given,  but  in  some  law  of  the  Divine  Providence, 
which  law  teaches  why  it  is  permitted. 

235.  He  who  does  not  at  all  acknowledge  the  Di- 
vine Providence,  does  not  in  his  heart  acknowledge 
God,  but  acknowledges  nature  instead  of  God,  and 
human  prudence  instead  of  Divine  Providence  :  that 


236  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

it  is  so,  does  not  appear,  because  man  can  think  one 
way,  and  think  another  way,  and  also  speak  one  way, 
and  speak  another  way  ;  he  can  think  and  speak  one 
way  from  his  interior  self,  and  another  way  from  his 
exterior  self;  he  is  like  a  hinge  which  can  turn  agate 
both  ways,  differently  when  he  enters  from  when  he 
goes  out ;  and  as  a  sail  can  turn  a  ship  both  ways,  as 
the  shipmaster  spreads  it.  They  who  have  confirmed 
themselves  in  favor  of  human  prudence,  so  far  as  to 
deny  the  Divine  Providence,  whatever  they  at  any  time 
see,  hear  and  read,  when  they  are  in  that  thought  of 
theirs,  notice  nothing  else  ;  yea,  neither  can  they ; 
because  they  receive  nothing  from  heaven,  but  only 
from  themselves  :  and  because  they  conclude  from 
appearances  and  fallacies  alone,  and  see  nothing  else, 
they  can  swear  that  it  is  so  ;  and  if  they  also  acknowl- 
edge nature  alone,  they  can  be  enraged  against  the 
defenders  of  the  Divine  Providence,  provided  they  are 
not  priests,  concerning  whom  they  think,  that  this 
belongs  to  their  doctrine  or  function. 

236.  Some  things  will  now  be  enumerated,  which 
are  things  of  permission,  and  still  according  to  the 
laws  of  the  Divine  Providence,  by  which  the  merely 
natural  man  confirms  himself  in  favor  of  nature 
against  God,  and  in  favor  of  human  prudence  against 
the  Divine  Providence ;  as  when  he  reads  in  the 
Word,  that  the  wisest  of  men,  Adam  and  his  wife, 
suffered  themselves  to  be  seduced  by  the  serpent,  and 
that  God  did  not  avert  this  by  his  Divine  Providence. 
That  their  first  son,  Cain,  killed  his  brother  Abel,  and 
God  did  not  then  withhold  him  by  speaking  with  him, 
but  only  after  the  deed  by  cursing  him.  That  the  Isra- 
elitish  nation  worshiped  a  golden  calf  in  the  desert, 
and  acknowledged  it  instead  of  God,  who  led  them 
out  of  the  land  of  Egypt ;  when  yet  Jehovah  saw  this 
from  mount  Sinai  near  by,  and  did  not  prevent  it. 
Also  that  David  numbered  the  people,  and  therefor  a 
plague  was  sent,  of  which  so  many  thousand  men 
perished;  and  that  God  sent  the  prophet  Gad  to  him 
and  denounced  punishment,  not  before  but  after  the 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  237 

deed.  That  Solomon  was  permitted  to  institute  idol- 
atrous worship ;  and  many  kings  after  him,  to  profane 
the  temple  and  the  holy  things  of  the  church  :  and  at 
length  that  that  nation  M'^as  permitted  to  crucify  the 
Lord.  In  these  and  many  other  places  in  the  Word, 
the  acknowledger  of  nature  and  human  prudence  sees 
nothing  but  things  contrary  to  the  Divine  Providence, 
wherefore  he  can  use  them  as  arguments  for  denying 
it,  if  not  in  his  exterior  thought,  which  is  next  to 
speech,  still  in  the  interior,  which  is  remote  from 
speech. 

237,  Every  worshiper  of  himself  and  worshiper 
of  nature  confirms  himself  against  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, when  he  sees  in  the  world  so  many  impious, 
and  so  many  of  their  impieties,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  gloryings  of  some  about  tb.em,  and  still  none  of 
their  punislnnents  therefor  bv  God  And  he  confirms 
himself  still  more  against  the  Divine  Providence, 
when  he  sees  that  machinations,  craftiness  and  deceits 
succeed,  even  against  the  pious,  just  and  sincere;  and 
that  injustice  triumphs  over  justice  in  judicial  trials 
and  in  business.  Especially  he  confirms  himself, 
when  he  sees  the  impious  raised  to  honors,  and  be- 
come great  and  first  men  :  also  that  they  abound  in 
riches,  and  live  in  delicacies  and  magnificence ;  and 
the  worshipers  of  God,  on  the  contrary,  in  contempt 
and  poverty.  He  also  confirms  himself  against  the 
Divine  Providence,  when  he  thinks  that  wars  are 
permitted,  and  thus  the  slaughter  of  so  many  men, 
and  the  plunder  of  so  many  cities,  nations  and  fami- 
lies :  and  also  that  victories  take  the  side  of  prudence, 
and  sometimes  not  that  of  justice;  and  that  it  makes 
no  difference  whether  the  commander  is  upright  or 
unprincipled  ;  besides  other  like  things  :  all  which  are 
permissions  according  to  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence. 

238.  The  same  natural  man  confirms  himself 
against  the  Divine  Providence,  when  he  looks  at  the 
religions  of  the  various  nations  ;  as  that  there  are 
given  those  who  are  altogether  ignorant  of  God ;  and 


238  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

that  there  are  given  those  who  adore  the  sun  and 
moon ;  also  who  adore  idols  and  even  monstrous 
sculptures;  and  also  dead  men.  Besides,  when  he 
looks  at  the  Mahometan  religion,  that  it  is  received  by 
so  many  empires  and  kingdoms  ;  and  that  the  chris- 
tian religion  is  only  in  the  smallest  part  of  the  habit- 
able world,  which  is  called  Europe;  and  that  it  is 
divided  there  ;  and  that  there  are  some  there  who 
claim  to  themselves  divine  power,  and  wish  to  be  wor- 
shiped as  gods;  and  some  who  invoke  dead  men  :  also 
that  there  are  some  who  place  salvation  in  certain 
words  which  they  think  and  speak,  and  nothing  in 
the  goods  which  they  do  ;  also  that  there  are  few  who 
live  according  to  their  religion  :  besides  heresies,  of 
which  there  have  been  very  many,  and  are  also  some 
at  the  present  day;  as  those  of  the  Quakers,  the  Mo- 
ravians, the  Anabaptists,  besides  others ;  also  that 
Judaism  still  continues.  From  these  things  the  de- 
nier of  the  Divine  Providence  concludes,  that  religion 
in  itself  is  nothing,  but  still  that  it  is  necessary  be- 
cause it  serves  as  a  bond. 

239.  To  these  arguments  there  may  at  this  day  be 
added  more,  by  which  those  may  still  confirm  them- 
selves, who  think  interiorly  in  favor  of  nature  and  of 
human  prudence  alone ;  as  that  the  whole  christian 
world  acknowledges  three  Gods,  not  knowing  that 
God  is  one  in  essence  and  in  person,  and  that  He  is 
the  Lord.  Also  that  they  have  hitherto  not  known, 
that  in  each  thing  of  the  Word  there  is  a  spiritual 
sense,  and  that  hence  is  its  sanctity.  As  also,  that 
they  have  not  known,  that  to  shun  evils  as  sins  is  the 
christian  religion  itself.  And  also  that  they  have  not 
known,  that  man  lives  a  man  after  death  :  for  they  can 
say  with  themselves  and  among  themselves.  Why 
does  the  Divine  Providence,  if  there  is  one,  reveal 
such  things  now  for  the  first  time? 

240.  All  the  things  which  have  been  enumerated 
in  numbers  237,  238,  239,  are  adduced  to  the  end  that 
it  may  be  seen,  that  all  and  each  of  the  things  which 
take  place  in  the  world,  as  well  with  the  evil  as  with 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  239 

the  good,  are  of  the  Divine  Providence ;  and  hence 
that  the  IDivine  Providence  is  in  the  most  particular 
^things  of  man's  thoughts  and  actions,  and  that  hence 
it  is  universal.  But  because  this  cannot  be  seen  from 
those  things,  unless  each  one  is  explained  separately, 
therefore  they  must  be  explained  briefly,  in  the  order 
in  which  they  are  adduced,  beginning  with  n.  236. 

241.  I.  That  the  wisest  of  men,  Adam  and  his  tcife, 
svfered  themselves  to  be  sednced  by  the  serpent,  and 
that  God  did  not  by  His  Divitie  Provide?ice  avert  this, 
is  because  by  Adam  and  his  wife  are  not  understood 
the  first  of  all  men  created  in  this  world,  but  the  men 
of  the  most  ancient  church,  the  nev\r  creation  or  regen- 
eration of  whom  is  thus  described;  their  new  creation 
or  regeneration  itself,  in  the  first  chapter,  by  the 
creation  of  heaven  and  earth  ;  their  wisdom  and  intel- 
ligence, by  the  garden  of  Eden  ;  and  the  end  of  that 
church,  by  the  eating  of  the  tree  of  knowledge :  for 
the  Word  in  its  bosom  is  spiritual,  containing  arcana 
of  divine  wisdom  ;  and  that  they  may  be  contained,  it 
is  written  by  mere  correspondences  and  representa- 
tions. From  which  it  is  manifest  that  the  men  of 
that  church,  who  in  the  beginning  were  the  wisest, 
and  in  the  end,  from  the  pride  of  their  own  intelli- 
gence, the  worst,  were  not  seduced  by  any  serpent,  but 
by  the  love  of  self,  which  is  there  the  serpent's  head, 
which  the  seed  of  the  woman,  that  is,  the  Lord, 
should  tread  down.  Who  cannot  see  from  reason, 
that  other  things  are  understood,  than  what  are  there 
historically  related  in  the  letter?  for  who  can  compre- 
hend, that  the  creation  of  the  world  could  be  such  as 
it  is  there  described  ]  wherefore  also  the  learned  have 
toiled  in  the  explanation  of  the  things  that  are  in  the 
first  chapter,  confessing  at  length  that  they  do  not 
understand  them  :  also  that  in  their  garden  or  para- 
dise were  placed  two  trees,  the  one  of  life  and  the 
other  of  knowledge,  and  these  for  a  stumbling-block  : 
as  also,  that  from  the  mere  eating  of  the  latter  tree, 
they  so  far  transgressed,  that  not  only  they,  but  also 
the   universal   human   race,  their   posterity,  became 


240  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

liable  to  damnation  :  further,  that  any  serpent  could 
have  seduced  thenri ;  besides  other  things  there  ;  as 
that  the  wife  was  created  from  the  rib  of  the  husband  ; 
that  tliey  acknowledged  their  nakedness  after  the  fall, 
and  covered  it  with  fig-leaves  ;  and  that  there  were 
given  to  them  coats  of  skins  for  covering  the  body ; 
and  that  there  were  placed  cherubs  with  a  flaming 
sword,  for  guarding  the  way  to  the  tree  of  life.  All 
these  are  representatives,  by  which  is  described  the 
establishment  of  the  most  ancient  church,  its  state  and 
change,  and  at  length  its  destruction  :  the  arcana  of 
all  these  things,  that  are  contained  in  the  spiritual 
sense,  which  is  in  each  thing  there,  may  be  seen  ex- 
plained in  the  Heavenly  Arcana  upon  Genesis  and 
Exodus,  published  at  London  :  from  which  it  may 
also  be  evident,  that  by  the  tree  of  life  is  there  under- 
stood the  Lord  as  to  His  Divine  Providence,  and  that 
by  the  tree  of  knowledge  is  understood  man  as  to  his 
own  prudence. 

242.  H.  That  their  first  son,  Cai7i,  killed  his 
brother  Abel,  and  God  did  not  then  withhold  him  by 
speaking  with  him,  but  only  after  the  deed  by  ct/rsi?ii^ 
him.  Since  by  Adam  and  his  wife  is  understood  the 
most  ancient  church,  as  was  just  now  said  above, 
hence  by  Cain  and  Abel,  their  first  sons,  are  under- 
stood the  two  essentials  of  the  church,  which  are 
love  and  wisdom,  or  charity  and  faith ;  by  Abel 
love  and  charity,  and  by  Cain  wisdom  and  faith; 
in  particular,  wisdom  separated  from  love,  or  faith 
separated  from  charity  ;  and  wisdom  and  faith  sep- 
arated is  such  that  it  not  only  rejects  love  and 
charity,  but  also  annihilates  them,  and  thus  kills  its 
brother  :  that  fiitli  separated  from  charity  does  thus, 
is  sufficiently  known  in  the  christian  world  ;  see  the 
Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  Faith. 
The  curse  of  Cain  involves  their  spiritual  state,  into 
which  those  come  after  death,  who  separate  faith 
from  charity,  or  wisdom  from  love.  But  still,  lest 
wisdom  or  faith  should  therefore  perish,  a  sign  was 
placed  upon  Cain,  lest  he  should  be  killed  ;  for  love  is 


THE    DIVINE    PUOVIDENCE.  241 

not  given  without  wisdom,  nor  charity  without  faith. 
Because  by  these  things  almost  the  Hl<e  is  represented 
as  by  eating  of  the  tree  of  knowledge,  this  therefore 
follows  in  order  after  the  description  of  Adam  and  his 
wife :  those  also  who  are  in  faith  separate  from 
charity,  are  in  their  own  intelligence;  and  those  who 
are  in  charity  and  thence  in  faith,  are  in  intelligence 
from  the  Lord,  thus  in  the  Divine  Providence. 

24.3.  III.  That  the  Israelitish  nation  worshiped  a 
golden  calf  in  the  desert,  and  acknoicJedoed  it  instead 
of  God,  who  led  them  ont  of  the  land  of  Egypt ;  when 
yet  Jehovah  saw  this  from  mount  &inai  near  by,  and 
did  not  prevent  it.  This  was  done  in  the  desert  of 
Sinai  near  the  mountain :  that  Jehovah  did  not  with- 
hold them  from  that  wicked  worship,  is  according  to 
all  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Providence,  which  have 
been  hitherto  adduced,  and  also  according  to  those 
which  follow.  This  evil  was  permitted  them,  lest  all 
should  perish  ;  for  the  sons  of  Israel  were  led  out  of 
Egypt,  that  they  might  represent  the  church  of  the 
Lord;  and  they  could  not  represent  this,  unless  the 
Egyptian  idolatries  were  first  eradicated  from  their 
hearts  :  and  this  could  not  be  done,  unless  it  had  been 
left  to  them  to  act  according  to  that  which  was  in  their 
heart,  and  thus  remove  it  by  a  severe  punishment. 
What  further  is  signified  by  that  worship,  and  by  the 
threat  that  they  should  be  fully  rejected,  and  that  a 
new  nation  should  be  raised  up  from  Moses,  may  be 
seen  in  the  Heavenly  Arcana  upon  Exodus  xxii., 
where  it  treats  concerning  these  things. 

244.  IV.  That  David  numbered  the  people,  and 
therefor  a  plague  was  sent,  of  lokich  so  many  thousand 
'm,en  pterished  ;  and  that  God  sent  the  prophet  Gad  to 
him  and  denounced  punishment  upon  him,  not  before 
but  after  the  deed:  he  who  confirms  himself  against 
the  Divine  Providence,  concerning  this  also  may  think 
and  revolve  various  things,  especially  why  David  was 
not  admonished  before,  and  why  the  people  shoidd  be 
so  severely  punished  for  the  transgression  of  the  king. 
That  he  was  not  admonished  before,  is  according  to 
21 


242  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

the  laws  of  the  Divine  Providence  thus  far  demonstra- 
ted; especially  according  to  the  two  explained  ahove, 
n.  129  to  153,  and  n.  154  to  174 :  that  the  people  were 
punished  so  severely  for  the  transgression  of  the  king, 
and  seventy  thousand  struck  down  by  the  plague,  was 
not  on  account  of  the  king,  but  on  account  of  the  peo- 
ple ;  for  we  read,  "The  anger  of  Jehovah  added  to  grow 
hot  against  Israel,  therefore  he  incited  David  against 
them,  saying,  Go,  number  Israel  and  Judah  :"  2  Sam. 
xxiv.  1. 

245.  V.  Til  at  it  mas  per7nitted  Solotnon  to  institute 
idolatrous  iporsklp,  was  for  the  purpose  that  he  might 
represent  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord,  or  the  church,  with 
all  the  religions  in  the  universal  habitable  world  ;  for 
the  church  instituted  with  the  Israelitish  or  Jewish 
nation  was  a  representative  church,  wherefore  all  the 
judgments  and  statutes  of  that  cliurch  represented  the 
spiritual  things  of  the  church,  which  are  its  internals; 
the  people  itself,  the  church;  the  king,  the  Lord; 
David,  the  Lord  about  to  come  into  the  v/orld;  and 
Solomon,  the  Lord  after  his  coming:  and  because  the 
Lord,  after  the  glorification  of  His  Human,  had  power 
over  heaven  and  earth,  as  He  says.  Matt,  xxviii.  18, 
therefore  the  representor  of  Him,  Solomon,  appeared 
in  glory  and  magnificence,  and  was  in  wisdom  above 
all  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  also  built  the  temple  ; 
and  he  moreover  permitted  and  established  the  wor- 
ship of  many  nations,  by  which  were  represented  the 
various  religions  in  the  world  :  the  like  things  his 
wives  signified,  who  were  700  in  number  ;  and  his 
concubines,  who  were  300  in  number;  1  Kings  xi3; 
for  a  wife  in  the  Word  signifies  a  church  ;  and  a  con- 
cubine, a  religion.  From  these  things  it  may  be  evi- 
dent, why  it  was  given  to  Solomon  to  build  the 
temple,  by  which  was  signified  the  Divine  Human  of 
the  Lord,  John  ii.  19,  21,  and  also  the  church  ;  also 
that  it  was  permitted  him  to  establish  idolatrous  wor- 
ship, and  to  marry  so  many  wives.  That  by  David 
in  many  places  in  the  Word  is  understood  the  Lord 
about    to  come  into  the  world,  may  be  seen   in   the 


the  divine  providence.  243 

Doctrine    of    the    New    Jerusalem    concerning    the 
Lord,  n.  43,  44. 

246.  VI.  That  it  was  permitted  many  kings,  after 
Solomon,  to  profane  the  temple  and  the  holy  things  of 
the  church,  was  because  the  people  represented  the 
church  and  the  king  their  head :  and  because  the 
Israel itish  and  Jewish  nation  was  such  that  they  could 
not  long  represent  the  church,  for  they  were  idolaters 
in  heart;  wherefore  they  successively  receded  from 
representative  worship  by  perverting  all  things  of  the 
church,  so  far  that  at  length  they  devastated  it :  this 
is  represented  by  the  profanations  of  the  temple  by 
the  kings,  and  by  their  idolatries  ;  the  very  devasta- 
tion of  the  church  by  the  destruction  of  the  temple 
itself,  and  by  the  carrying  away  of  the  Israelitish 
people,  and  by  the  captivity  of  the  Jewish  people  in 
Babylon.  This  was  the  cause  ;  and  whatever  is  done 
from  any  cause,  is  done  of  the  Divine  Providence 
according  to  some  law  of  it. 

247.  VII.  That  it  was  permitted  that  nation  to  cru- 
cify the  Lord,  was  because  the  church  with  that 
nation  was  altogether  devastated,  and  became  such 
that  they  not  only  did  not  know  and  acknowledge 
the  Lord,  but  also  hated  Him :  but  still  all  the  things 
which  they  did  to  Him  were  according  to  the  laws  of 
His  Divine  Providence.  That  the  passion  of  the 
cross  was  the  last  temptation,  or  the  last  combat,  by 
which  the  Lord  fully  conquered  the  hells,  and  fully 
glorified  His  Human,  may  be  seen  in  the  Doctrine  of 
the  J\ew  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord,  n.  12  to  14, 
and  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concern- 
ing Faith,  n.  34,  35. 

248.  Thus  far  have  been  explained  those  things 
which  were  enumerated  above,  n.  236,  which  are 
some  things  from  the  V^^ord  by  which  the  natural  man, 
if  a  reasoner,  may  confirm  himself  against  the  Divine 
Providence  :  for,  as  was  said  before,  whatever  such 
a  man  sees,  hears  and  reads,  he  can  take  as  an 
argument  against  it:  yet  few  confirm  themselves 
against  the  Divine  Providence  from  such  things  as  are 


244  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

in  the  Word  ;  but  more  from  those  that  stand  forth 
before  their  eyes  ;  which  are  those  that  are  contained 
in  n.  237,  which  are  now  in  like  manner  to  be 
explained. 

249.  I.  That  every  woj-shiper  of  Idmself  and  iroj'- 
shiper  of  nature  confirms  himself  against  the  Divine 
Providence,  when  lie  sees  so  'many  impious  in,  the  world, 
and  so  many  of  their  impieties,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  gloryings  of  soyne  in  them,  and  still  not  at/y  pnn- 
ishment  of  them  by  God.  All  impieties,  and  also  glo- 
ryings about  them,  are  permissions,  the  causes  of 
which  are  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Providence.  Every 
man  can  freely,  yea,  most  freely,  think  what  he  will, 
as  well  against  God  as  for  God  ;  and  he  who  thinks 
against  God  is  rarely  punished  in  the  natural  world, 
because  there  he  is  always  in  a  state  of  reformation; 
but  he  is  punished  in  the  spiritual  world,  which  is 
done  after  death,  for  then  he  can  no  longer  be  reform- 
ed. That  the  causes  of  permissions  are  the  laws  of 
the  Divine  Providence,  is  manifest  from  the  laws  of 
it  above  adduced,  if  they  are  recalled  and  examined  ; 
which  are,  That  man  should  act  from  freedom  accord- 
ing to  reason ;  concerning  which  law,  above,  n.  71  to 
97.  That  man  should  not  be  compelled  by  external 
means  to  think  and  will,  thus  to  believe  and  love, 
those  things  which  are  of  religion  ;  but  that  he  should 
lead,  and  sometimes  compel,  himself;  concerning 
which  law,  n.  154  to  174.  That  one's  own  prudence 
is  nothing,  and  only  appears  that  it  is ;  and  also  ought 
to  appear  as  if  it  was  :  but  that  the  Divine  Providence 
from  things  the  most  particular  is  universal,  n.  191  to 
213.  That  the  Divine  Providence  regards  eternal 
things,  and  no  otherwise  temporal  things,  than  as  far 
as  they  make  one  with  eternal  things,  n.  214  to  220. 
That  man  is  not  let  interiorly  into  the  truths  of  faith 
and  into  the  goods  of  charity,  except  so  far  as  he  can 
be  kept  in  them  until  the  end  of  life;  concerning 
which  law,  n.  221  to  233.  That  the  causes  of  per- 
missions are  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Providence,  will 
also  be  manifest  from  what  follows ;  as  from  this  :  that 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  245 

evils  are  permitted  for  the  sake  of  the  end,  which  is 
salvation.  Also  from  this  :  that  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence is  continual  equally  with  the  evil  as  with  the 
good.  And  at  length  from  this  :  that  the  Lord  cannot 
act  contrary  to  the  laws  of  His  Divine  Providence, 
because  to  act  contrary  to  them  would  be  to  act  con- 
trary to  His  divine  love  and  contrary  to  His  divine 
wisdom,  thus  contrary  to  Himself  These  laws,  if 
they  are  compared,  may  make  manifest  the  causes, 
why  impieties  are  permitted  by  the  Lord,  and  are  not 
punished  while  they  are  in  thought,  and  rarely  also  in 
intention,  and  thus  also  in  will,  and  not  in  deed.  But 
still  its  own  punishment  follows  every  evil;  it  is  as 
if  upon  evil  were  inscribed  its  punishment ;  which  the 
impious  suffers  after  death.  By  these  things,  which 
are  now  adduced,  are  also  explained  these  following, 
stated  above,  n.  237,  which  are.  That  the  worshiper 
of  himself  and  the  worshiper  of  7iature  confirms  him- 
self against  the  Divine  Providence  still  more,  ichen 
he  sees  that  m,achinatio7is,  craftiness  and  deceits  suc- 
ceed, even  against  the  pious,  the  just,  and  the  sincere: 
and  that  injustice  triumphs  over  justice  in  judicicd  tri- 
als and  in  business.  All  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence are  necessities  ;  and  because  there  are  causes 
why  such  things  are  permitted,  it  is  manifest  that,  in 
order  that  man  may  live  a  man,  be  reformed  and 
saved,  ^uch  things  cannot  be  taken  away  from  man 
by  the  Lord,  except  mediately  through  the  Word,  and 
in  particular  through  the  precepts  of  the  decalogue 
with  those  who  acknowledge  murders,  adulteries, 
thefts  and  false  testimonies  of  every  kind  as  sins  ;  but 
with  those  who  do  not  acknowledge  such  things  as 
sins,  mediately  through  the  civil  laws  and  fear  for 
their  punishments ;  also  mediately  through  moral 
laws,  and  the  fear  of  the  loss  of  fame,  honor  and  gain 
on  account  of  it :  by  the  latter  means  the  Lord  leads 
the  evil,  yet  only  from  doing  those  things,  but  not 
from  thinking  and  wilhng  them  :  but  by  the  former 
means  the  Lord  leads  the  good,  not  only  from  doing 
them,  but  also  from  thinking  and  willing  them. 
21^^ 


246  ANGELIC  WISDOM  CONCERNING 

250.  II.  That  tlie  worshiper  of  lihnself  and  the  wor- 
shiper of  nature  confirms  hhnsclf  against  tJie  Divine 
Providence^  ichen  he  sees  the  impious  raised  to  lio^wrs, 
and,  become  the  great  and  first  men  ;  and  also  abmnd 
i}}  riches,  and  live  in  delicacies  arid  magnificence,  and 
tlie  uorshipers  of  God  in  contempt  and  poverty :  the 
worshiper  of  himself  and  the  worshiper  of  nature 
believes  dignities  and  wealth  to  be  the  highest  and 
the  only  happiness  which  can  be  given,  thus  happi- 
ness itself;  and  if  from  worship  commenced  from 
infancy  he  thinks  something  concerning  God,  he  calls 
them  divine  blessings  ;  and  as  long  as  from  them  he 
does  not  aspire  higher,  he  thinks  that  there  is  a  God, 
and  also  worships  Him;  but  in  the  worship  there  lies 
hid  what  he  then  knows  not,  namely,  that  he  may  be 
raised  to  dignities  still  higher,  and  to  wealth  still  more 
ample  ;  and  if  he  comes  into  them,  his  worship  goes 
away  to  exteriors  more  and  more,  until  it  falls  away, 
and  at  length  he  despises  and  denies  God  :  he  does  the 
like,  if  he  is  cast  down  from  the  dignity  and  opulence 
in  which  he  placed  his  heart.  What  then  are  digni- 
ties and  wealth,  except  stumbling-blocks  to  the  evil  7 
but  not  to  the  good,  because  the  latter  do  not  place  the 
heart  in  them,  but  in  the  uses  or  goods,  to  performing 
which  dignities  and  wealth  serve  as  means  :  where- 
fore by  the  impious  being  promoted  to  honors  and 
wealth,  and  becoming  the  great  and  the  first,  no  other 
one  can  confirm  himself  against  the  Divine  Providence, 
but  he  who  is  a  worshiper  of  self  and  a  worshiper 
of  nature.  Besides,  what  is  dignity  greater  and  less, 
and  what  is  opulence  greater  and  less  7  is  it  anything 
else  in  itself  but  something  imaginary  7  is  one  better 
off  and  happier  than  another?  is  dignity  with  a  great 
man,  yea,  with  a  king  and  an  emperor,  after  a  year's 
time,  looked  upon  otherwise  than  as  something  com- 
mon, which  no  longer  exalts  his  heart  with-joy,  and 
which  may  even  grow  worthless  with  him  7  are  they 
from  their  dignities  in  a  greater  degree  of  happiness 
than  those  who  are  in  less,  yea,  in  the  least  dignity, 
as  husbandmen   and  also  their  domestics  are  7   can 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  247 

the  latter  be  in  a  greater  degree  of  happiness,  when  it 
is  well  with  thein,  and  they  are  content  with  their  lot? 
what  is  more  restless  at  heart,  wliat  is  oftener  angry, 
and  what  more  vehemently  enraged,  than  the  love  of 
self?  this  happens  as  often  as  it  is  not  honored  accord- 
ing to  the  exaltation  of  its  heart,  and  as  often  as  any- 
thing does  not  sncceed  with  it  according  to  its  will 
and  pleasnre  :  what  then  is  dignity,  bnt  an  idea,  if 
it  be  not  of  reality  or  use  1  can  snch  an  idea  be  in 
any  other  thonght  but  in  thought  concerning  self 
and  the  world?  is  it  anything  in  itself  but  an  idea 
that  the  world  is  all,  and  eternity  is  nothing  ?  Some- 
thing shall  now  be  said  concerning  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, why  it  permits  that  the  impious  in  heart  should 
be  raised  to  dignities  and  gain  wealth  :  the  impious  or 
the  evil  can  perform  uses  equally  as  the  pious  or  the 
good  ;  yea.  from  a  stronger  fire  ;  for  they  regard  them- 
selves in  uses,  and  honors  as  uses ;  wherefore,  in  that 
degree  to  which  the  love  of  self  mounts,  is  the  lust  of 
doing  uses  for  the  sake  of  its  glory  kindled  :  such  fire 
is  not  given  with  the  pious  or  the  good,  unless  it  is 
kindled  beneath  by  honor  :  wherefore  the  impious  in 
heart,  who  are  in  dignities,  the  Lord  governs  by  the 
fame  of  their  name,  and  excites  them  to  doing  uses  to 
the  community  or  the  country,  to  the  society  or  city  in 
which  they  are,  and  also  to  the  fellow-citizen  or  neigh- 
bor with  whom  they  are  :  this  is  the  government  of 
the  Lord,  which  is  called  the  Divine  Providence  with 
such :  for  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord  is  a  kingdom  of 
uses;  and  when  there  are  not  given  but  a  few  who 
perform  uses  for  the  sake  of  uses,  he  causes  the  wor- 
shipers of  self  to  be  raised  to  the  higher  oflSces,  in  which 
every  one  is  excited  by  liis  love  to  doing  good.  Sup- 
pose some  infernal  kingdom  in  the  world,  although  it 
is  not  given,  where  nothing  but  the  loves  of  self  gov- 
ern :  the  love  of  self  itself  is  the  devil :  will  not  every 
one  do  uses  from  the  fire  of  his  love,  and  from  the 
splendor  of  his  glory,  more  than  in  any  other  king- 
dom? yet  with  all  these  the  public  good  is  carried  in 
the  mouth,  but  their  own  good  in   the  heart ;    and 


248  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

because  every  one  regards  it  as  his  chief  object  fo 
become  greater,  for  he  aspires  to  be  the  greatest,  can 
such  an  one  see  that  there  is  a  God  ?  there  is  a  smoke 
as  of  a  contlagration  which  closes  round,  through 
which  no  spiritual  truth  in  its  light  can  pass  :  I  have 
seen  that  smoke  around  the  hells  of  such.  Light  a 
lamp,  and  inquire,  how  many  there  are  in  the  king- 
doms, at  this  day,  that  aspire  to  dignities,  who  are 
loves  of  self  and  of  the  world  :  will  you  among  a 
thousand  find  fifty  who  are  loves  of  God?  and  among 
these  only  a  few  who  aspire  to  dignities  :  since  there- 
fore there  are  so  few  in  number  who  are  loves  of  God, 
and  so  many  who  are  loves  of  self  and  of  the  world, 
and  since  the  latter  loves  from  their  fires  perform  more 
uses  than  the  loves  of  God  from  theirs,  how  then  can 
any  one  confirm  himself  by  the  fact  that  the  evil  are 
in  eminence  and  opulence  above  the  good  7  This  is 
also  confirmed  by  these  words  of  the  Lord  :  The  Lord 
praised  the  unjust  steward^  because  he  acted  prudently  ; 
for  the  sons  of  this  age  are  more  prudent  in  their  gen- 
eration than  the  sons  of  light.  Thus  I  say  to  you, 
make  to  yourselves  friends  from  the  inanimon  of  un- 
righteousness, that  when  ye  fail,  they  may  receive  you 
into  eternal  tabernacles.  Luke  xvi.  8,  9.  What  is 
understood  by  these  things  in  the  natural  sense,  is 
manifest :  but  in  the  spiritual  sense  by  the  mammon 
of  unrighteousness  are  understood  the  knowledges  of 
good  and  truth,  which  the  evil  possess,  and  which 
they  use  only  for  procuring  dignities  and  wealth  to 
themselves  :  it  is  these  knowledges,  from  which  the 
good  or  the  sons  of  light  should  make  to  themselves 
friends,  and  which  shall  receive  them  into  eternal 
tabernacles.  That  the  loves  of  self  and  of  the  world 
are  many,  and  the  loves  of  God  few,  the  Lord  also 
teaches  in  these  words  :  Wide  is  the  gate  and  spacious 
the  way  which  leads  to  destruction,  and  inany  arc  they 
who  enter  through  it :  but  7iarrow  and  strait  is  the 
way  which  leads  to  life,  and  fein  are  they  who  find  it. 
Matt,  vii.   13,    14.     That   dignities   and    wealth   are 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE,  249 

either  curses   or    blessings,  and   with   whom,  may  be 
seen  above,  n.  217. 

251.  III.  That  the  worshiper  of  self  and  the  wor- 
shiper of  7iature  confirms  himself  against  the  Divine 
Providence,  when  he  thinks  that  wa7-s  are  permitted, 
and  then  the  slaughter  of  so  many  men,  and  the 
plunder  of  their  v^ealth.  It  is  not  from  the  Divine 
Providence  that  wars  exist,  because  they  are  united 
with  murders,  phuiders,  violence,  cruelties,  and  other 
enormous  evils,  which  are  diametrically  against  chris- 
tian charity  :  but  still  they  cannot  but  be  permitted, 
because  the  life's  love  of  men,  since  the  most  ancient, 
who  are  understood  by  Adam  and  his  wife,  concern- 
ing whom  above,  n.  241,  has  become  such,  that  it 
wishes  to  rule  over  others,  and  at  length  over  all,  and 
wishes  to  possess  the  wealth  of  the  world,  and  at 
length  all  :  these  two  loves  cannot  be  held  in  bonds, 
since  it  is  according  to  the  Divine  Providence,  that  it 
should  be  permitted  to  every  one  to  act  from  freedom 
according  to  reason,  concerning  which  may  be  seen 
above,  n.  71  to  97;  and  because  without  permissions 
man  cannot  be  led  from  evil  by  the  Lord,  thus  not  be 
reformed  and  saved  ;  for  unless  it  were  permitted  that 
evils  should  break  out,  man  would  not  see  them,  thus 
would  not  acknowledge  them,  and  thus  could  not  be 
led  to  resist  them  :  hence  it  is,  that  evils  cannot  be 
repressed  by  any  Providence  ;  for  thus  they  would 
remain  shut  in,  and,  like  the  disease  which  is  called 
cancer  and  gangrene,  would  spread  around  and  con- 
sume all  human  vitality.  For  man  from  birth  is  like 
a  little  hell,  between  which  and  heaven  there  is  a  per- 
petual disagreement :  no  man  can  be  drawn  out  of 
his  hell  by  the  Lord,  unless  he  sees  that  he  is  in  it, 
and  unless  he  wishes  to  be  drawn  out;  and  this  can- 
not be  done  without  permissions,  the  causes  of  which 
are  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Providence.  From  this 
cause  it  is,  that  there  are  wars,  greater  and  less  ;  the 
less  between  the  possessors  of  estates  and  their  neigh- 
bors, and  the  greater  between  the  monarchs  of  king- 
doms and  their  neighbors  :  greater  and  less  makes  no 


250  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

Other  difference,  than  that  the  less  is  kept  within  lim- 
its by  the  laws  of  the  nation,  and  the  greater  by  the 
laws  of  nations ;  and  that  the  less  as  well  as  the 
greater  wislies  to  transgress  its  laws,  but  the  less  can- 
not, and  the  greater  can  ;  yet  still  not  beyond  possi- 
bility. The  causes  that  the  greater  wars,  because 
they  are  united  with  homicides,  plunder,  violence  and 
cruelties,  are  not  repressed  by  the  Lord  with  kings 
and  generals,  neither  in  the  beginning,  nor  in  progress, 
but  in  the  end,  when  the  power  of  the  one  or  the  other 
has  become  so  weak  that  danger  of  destruction 
threatens  him,  are  very  many,  which  are  stored  up  in 
the  treasury  of  divine  wisdom ;  of  which  some  have 
been  revealed  to  me  ;  among  which  is  this  ;  that  all 
wars,  how  political  soever  they  are,  are  representative 
of  the  states  of  the  church  in  heaven  ;  and  that  they 
are  correspondences  :  such  were  all  the  wars  described 
in  the  Word,  and  such  also  are  all  wars  at  this  day  : 
the  wars  described  in  the  Word  are  those  which  the 
children  of  Israel  carried  on  with  various  nations,  as 
the  Amorites,  the  Ammonites,  the  Moabites,  the  Philis- 
tines, the  Syrians,  the  Egyptians,  the  Chaldeans,  the 
Assyrians ;  and  when  the  children  of  Israel,  who 
represented  the  church,  receded  from  the  command- 
ments and  statutes,  and  fell  into  the  evils  which  were 
signified  by  those  nations,  (for  every  nation  with 
which  the  children  of  Israel  carried  on  war  signified 
some  kind  of  evil,)  then  they  were  punished  by  that 
nation  :  as,  when  they  profaned  the  holy  things  of  the 
church  by  foul  idolatries,  they  were  punished  by  the 
Assyrians  and  Chaldeans,  since  by  Assyria  and  Chal- 
dea  is  signified  the  profanation  of  what  is  holy  :  what 
is  signified  by  the  wars  with  the  Piiilistines,  may  be 
seen  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concern- 
ing Faith,  n.  50  to  54.  Like  things  are  represented  by 
wars  at  this  day,  wherever  they  are  ;  for  all  things 
which  are  done  in  the  natural  world  correspond  to 
spiritual  things  in  the  spiritual  world,  and  all  spiritual 
things  concern  the  church.  It  is  not  known  in  this 
world  what  kingdoms  in  the  christian  world  resemble 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  251 

the  Moabites  and  Ammonites,  what  ones  the  Syri- 
ans and  Philistines,  and  what  the  Chaldeans  and 
Assyrians,  and  the  rest  with  whom  the  children  of 
Israel  carried  on  wars ;  but  still  there  are  those  who 
resemble  them.  But  what  the  church  is  in  the  coun- 
tries, and  what  the  evils  are  into  which  it  is  falling, 
and  on  account  of  which  it  is  punished  by  wars,  can- 
not be  at  all  seen  in  the  natural  world,  since  in  this 
world  the  externals  only  are  manifest,  which  do  not 
make  the  church ;  but  it  is  seen  in  the  spiritual  world, 
where  the  internals,  in  which  the  church  itself  is, 
appear ;  and  there  all  are  conjoined  according  to  their 
various  states  :  the  conflicts  of  these  in  the  spiritual 
world  correspond  to  wars,  which  are  governed  on  both 
sides  by  the  Lord  by  correspondences  according  to  His 
Divine  Providence.  That  wars  in  the  world  are  gov- 
erned by  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  the  spirit- 
ual man  acknowledges,  but  not  the  natural  man,  only 
when  a  festival  is  appointed  on  account  of  a  victory, 
as  he  can  then  give  thanks  to  God  upon  his  knees,  that 
He  has  given  the  victory,  and  also  with  a  few  words 
before  he  goes  into  battle  ;  but  when  he  returns  into 
himself,  he  then  ascribes  the  victory  either  to  the  pru- 
dence of  the  general,  or  to  some  measure  or  occurrence 
in  the  midst  of  the  battle,  concerning  which  they  had 
thought  nothing,  from  which  however  is  the  victory. 
That  the  Divine  Providence,  which  is  called  fortune, 
is  in  the  most  particular  things  of  even  trifling  aff'airs, 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  212  :  if  you  acknowledge  the 
Divine  Providence  in  them,  you  will  by  all  means 
acknowledge  it  in  the  aff'airs  of  war  :  successes  also, 
and  the  aff'airs  of  war  managed  fortunately,  are  called, 
by  the  common  phrase,  the  fortune  of  war  ;  and  this 
is  the  Divine  Providence,  especially  in  the  plans  and 
deliberations  of  the  general ;  although  he  should  then 
and  afterwards  ascribe  all  things  of  it  to  his  prudence. 
But  he  may  do  this  if  he  will,  for  he  is  in  the  full  liberty 
of  thinking  in  favor  of  the  Divine  Providence,  and 
against  it ;  yea,  in  favor  of  God  and  against  Him  ;  but 
let  him  know  that  no  jot  of  the  plan  and  deliberation 


252  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

is  from  himself:  it  all  flows  in  either  from  heaven  or 
from  hell ;  from  hell  from  permission,  from  heaven 
from  Providence. 

252.  IV.  That  the  worshiper  of  self  mid  tJte  wor- 
shiper of  nature  confirnis  himself  against  the  Divine 
Providence,  when  he  thinks,  according  to  his  percep- 
tion, that  victories  take  the  side  of  prudence,  and 
sometimes  not  the  side  of  justice :  also  that  it  makes 
no  difference,  whether  the  commander  is  upright,  or 
tvhether  he  is  vnprincijded.  That  it  seems  as  if  victo- 
ries took  the  side  of  prudence,  and  sometimes  not  the 
side  of  justice,  is  because  man  judges  from  appear- 
ance, and  favors  one  party  more  than  another,  and 
that  which  he  favors  he  can  confirm  by  reasonings ; 
nor  does  he  know  that  the  justice  of  a  cause  is  spir- 
itual in  heaven,  and  natural  in  the  world,  as  was 
said  in  what  just  precedes;  and  that  they  are  con- 
joined by  the  connection  of  past  and  at  the  same  time 
future  things,  Avhich  are  known  to  the  Lord  alone. 
That  it  makes  no  difference  whether  the  commander 
is  upright  or  is  unprincipled,  is  from  the  same  cause 
that  was  confirmed  above,  n.  250,  that  the  evil  do 
uses  equally  as  the  good,  and  the  evil  from  their  fire 
more  ardently  than  the  good ;  especially  in  wars,  be- 
cause the  evil  is  more  shrewd  and  crafty  in  plotting 
deceits,  and  from  the  love  of  glory  is  in  the  pleasure 
of  kiUing  and  pillaging  those  whom  he  knows  and 
declares  to  be  enemies,  more  than  the  good  :  the  latter 
is  only  in  the  prudence  and  zeal  of  defending,  and 
rarely  in  any  prudence  and  zeal  of  invading.  This  is 
the  like  as  with  the  spirits  of  hell  and  the  angels  of 
heaven:  the  spirits  of  hell  attack,  and  the  angels  of 
heaven  defend  themselves.  From  these  things  is 
made  this  conclusion,  that  every  one  is  permitted  to 
defend  his  country  and  associates  against  invading 
enemies,  even  by  evil  commanders ;  but  that  it  is  not 
permitted  that  he  should  act  as  an  enemy  without 
cause :  if  for  the  sake  of  glory  alone,  the  cause  is  in 
itself  diabolical,  for  it  is  of  the  love  of  self. 

253.  Thus    far  have  been  explained  those  things 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  253 

which  were  adduced  above,  n.  237,  by  whicli  the 
merely  natural  man  confirms  himself  against  the 
Divine  Providence :  those  are  now  to  be  explained 
that  follow,  n.  238,  which  concern  the  religions  of 
very  many  nations ;  which  may  also  serve  the  merely 
natural  man  for  arguments  against  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence:  for  he  says  in  heart,  How  can  so  many  disa- 
greeing religions  be  given,  and  not  one  true  one  upon, 
the  whole  habitable  world,  when  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence has  for  end  a  heaven  from  tlie  human  race  ?  as 
was  shown  above,  n.  27  to  45.  But  hear,  I  pray : 
all  men,  however  many,  that  are  born  in  whatever 
religion,  can  be  saved,  provided  they  acknowledge  a 
God,  and  live  according  to  the  commandments  that 
are  in  the  decalogue,  which  are,  that  they  should  not 
kill,  that  they  should  not  commit  adultery,  that  they 
should  not  steal,  that  they  should  not  testify  falsely, 
on  this  account  that  to  do  such  things  is  against  re- 
ligion, thus  against  God :  with  these  there  is  the  fear 
of  God,  and  the  love  of  the  neighbor  ;  the  fear  of  God, 
because  they  think  that  to  do  these  things  is  against 
God;  and  the  love  of  the  neighbor,  because  to  kill,  to 
commit  adultery,  to  steal,  to  testify  falsely,  and  to 
covet  his  house  and  his  wife,  is  against  the  neighbor : 
these,  because  in  their  life  they  look  to  God,  and  do 
not  do  evil  to  the  neighbor,  are  led  by  the  Lord ;  and 
they  who  are  led,  are  also  taught  concerning  God  and 
concerning  the  neighbor  according  to  their  religion  : 
for  they  who  live  thus,  love  to  be  taught;  but  they 
who  live  otherwise,  do  not :  and  because  they  love  to 
be  taught,  after  death  also,  when  they  become  spirits, 
they  are  instructed  by  the  angels,  and  willingly 
receive  truths  such  as  are  in  the  Word :  something 
concerning  these  may  be  seen  in  the  Doctrine  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,  n. 
91  to  97,  and  n.  104  to  113. 

254.    I.    That  the  merely  natural  man  confirms  him- 
self against  the  Divine  Providence,  when  he  looks  at 
the  religions  of  the   various  nations ;  that  there  are 
given  those  who  are  altogether  ignorant  of  God  ;  and 
22 


254  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

that  there  are  given  those  mho  adore  the  sun  and  moon  ; 
also  who  adore  idols  a'.td  carved  images.  They  who 
from  these  things  deduce  arguments  against  the  Divine 
Providence,  do  not  know  the  arcana  of  heaven,  which 
are  innumerable,  of  which  man  knows  scarcely  one : 
among  them  also  is  this,  that  man  is  not  taught  from 
heaven  immediately,  but  mediately;  concerning  which 
thing  it  may  be  seen  above,  n.  154  to  174  ;  and  be- 
cause it  is  mediately,  and  the  gospel  could  not  come 
by  missionaries  to  all  who  dwell  in  the  universal 
habitable  world;  but  still,  by  various  ways,  religion 
could  be  spread  abroad,  even  to  the  nations  which  are 
in  the  corners  of  the  world  ;  wherefore  by  the  Divine 
Providence  this  has  been  done  ;  for  no  man  has  reli- 
gion from  himself,  but  through  another,  who  either 
himself  or  by  transmission  from  others  knew  from  the 
Word,  that  there  is  a  God,  that  there  are  a  heaven 
and  a  hell,  that  there  is  a  life  after  death,  and  that 
God  is  to  be  worshiped,  that  one  may  be  made  blessed. 
That  religion  has  been  transplanted  into  the  universal 
world  from  the  old  Word,  and  afterwards  from  the 
Israelitish,  may  be  seen  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,  n.  101  to 
103;  and  that  unless  there  had  been  a  Word,  no  one 
would  have  known  God,  heaven  and  hell,  the  life 
after  death,  still  less  the  Lord ;  see  the  same,  n.  114  to 
118.  When  religion  is  once  implanted,  that  nation  is 
led  by  the  Lord  according  to  the  precepts  and  tenets 
of  its  religion;  and  the  Lord  provides  that  in  every 
religion  there  should  be  precepts,  such  as  are  in  the 
decalogue ;  as  that  God  is  to  be  worshiped,  His  name 
not  to  be  profaned,  a  solemn  day  to  be  kept,  parents 
to  be  honored  ;  that  one  must  not  kill,  nor  commit 
adultery,  nor  steal,  nor  testify  falsely  :  the  nation 
which  makes  these  precepts  divine,  and  lives  accord- 
ing to  them  from  religion,  is  saved,  as  was  said  just 
above,  n.  253  :  most  of  the  nations  also,  remote  from 
Christianity,  look  upon  these  laws  not  as  civil,  but  as 
divine,  and  esteem  them  holy  :  that  man  is  saved  by 
a  life  according  to  these  precepts,  may  be  seen  in  the 


thk  divink  providence.  255 

Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  from  the  Command- 
ments OF  THE  Decalogue,  from  beginning  to  end. 
Among  the  arcana  of  heaven  is  also  this,  that  the 
angehc  heaven  before  the  Lord  is  as  one  man,  whose 
soul  and  hfe  is  the  Lord,  and  that  that  divine  man  is 
in  all  form  a  man,  not  only  as  to  the  external  mem- 
bers and  organs,  bnt  also  as  to  the  internal  members 
and  organs,  which  are  very  many ;  and  also  as  to  the 
skins,  membranes,  cartilages  and  bones;  but  the 
latter  and  the  former  in  that  man  are  not  material, 
but  are  spiritual ;  and  it  is  provided  by  the  Lord,  that 
those  also  to  whom  the  gospel  could  not  come,  but 
only  religion,  might  also  have  place  in  that  divine 
man,  that  is,  in  heaven,  by  constituting  those  tilings 
which  are  called  skins,  membranes,  cartilages  and 
bones ;  and  that  they  might  be  in  heavenly  joy  in 
like  manner  as  others  :  for  it  matters  not,  whether 
they  are  in  such  joy  as  the  angels  of  the  highest 
heaven  have,  or  in  such  joy  as  the  angels  of  the  ulti- 
mate heaven  have  ;  for  every  one  that  comes  into 
heaven,  comes  into  the  highest  joy  of  his  heart ;  he 
does  not  sustain  a  higher,  for  in  it  he  would  be  suffo- 
cated :  it  is  comparatively  as  a  husbandman  and  a 
king;  the  husbandman  may  be  m  the  highest  joy, 
when  he  goes  in  a  new  garment  of  coarse  wool,  and 
sits  down  at  a  table  upon  which  is  swine's  flesh,  a 
bit  of  beef,  cheese,  beer  and  sour  wine  :  he  would  be 
distressed  at  heart,  if  like  a  king  he  was  clothed  in 
purple,  silk,  gold  and  silver,  and  a  table  were  set  be- 
fore him  upon  which  were  delicacies  and  costly  feasts 
of  many  kinds,  with  noble  wine  :  from  which  it  is 
manifest,  that  the  last  as  well  as  the  first  have  hea\^en- 
ly  happiness,  each  one  in  his  degree  ;  so  also  those 
who  are  out  of  the  christian  world,  provided  they 
shun  evils  as  sins  against  God,  because  against  reli- 
gion. There  are  a  few  who  are  altogether  ignorant 
of  God  :  that  these,  if  they  have  lived  a  moral  life, 
are  instructed  after  death  by  the  angels,  and  in  their 
moral  life  receive  a  spiritual  principle,  may  be  seen  in 
the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the 


256  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERlSnNG 

Sacred  Scripture,  n.  116.  In  like  manner  they  who 
worship  the  sun  and  the  moon,  and  beheve  that  God 
is  there  ;  they  know  no  other ;  wherefore  that  is  not 
imputed  to  them  as  sin ;  for  the  Lord  says.  If  ye  were 
blind,  that  is,  if  ye  did  not  know,  ye  would  not  have 
sin,  John  ix.  41.  But  there  are  many  who  worship 
idols  and  sculptures,  even  in  the  christian  world  : 
this  is  indeed  idolatrous,  but  not  with  all ;  for  there 
are  those  to  whom  sculptures  serve  as  a  means  of 
calling  up  the  thought  concerning  God ;  for  it  is  from 
influx  from  heaven,  that  he  who  acknowledges  God. 
wishes  to  see  Him  ;  and  those,  because  they  cannot 
elevate  the  mind  above  sensual  things,  like  the  inte- 
rior spiritual,  do  therefore  awaken  that  from  a  sculp- 
ture or  image :  they  who  do  this,  and  do  not  adore 
the  sculpture  itself  as  God,  if  from  religion  they 
also  live  the  precepts  of  the  decalogue,  are  saved. 
From  these  things  it  is  manifest,  that  because  the 
Lord  wills  the  salvation  of  all,  he  has  also  provided 
that  every  one  may  have  some  place  in  heaven,  if  he 
lives  well.  That  heaven  before  the  Lord  is  as  one 
man,  and  that  hence  heaven  corresponds  to  each  and 
all  the  things  which  are  with  man,  and  also  that  there 
are  those  who  have  reference  to  the  skins,  membranes, 
cartilages  and  bones,  may  be  seen  in  the  work  con- 
cerning Heaven  and  Hell,  published  at  London,  17.58, 
n.  59  to  102  :  also  in  the  Heavenly  Arcana,  n.  5552 
to  5564 :  and  also  above,  n.  201  to  204. 

255.  II.  That  the  merely  natural  man  confirms 
himself  against  the  Divine  Providence,  when  he  looks 
at  the  Mahometan  religion,  that  it  is  received  by  so 
Tnany  empires  and  kingdoms :  that  this  religion  is 
received  by  more  kingdoms  than  the  christian  reli- 
gion, may  bring  a  scandal  to  those,  who  think  con- 
cerning the  Divine  Providence,  and  at  the  same  time 
believe  that  no  one  can  be  saved,  except  he  who  is 
born  a  christian,  thus  where  the  Word  is,  and  the 
Lord  is  known  by  it :  but  the  Mahometan  religion  is 
not  a  scandal  to  those  who  believe  that  all  things  are 
of  the  Divine  Providence  ;  they  inquire  wherein  it  is. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  25t 

and  also  find  out:  it  is  in  this,  tliat  the  Mahometan 
rehgion  acknowledges  the  Lord  as  the  Son  of  God, 
the  wisest  of  men,  and  as  the  greatest  prophet, 
who  came  into  the  world  that  he  might  teach  men : 
the  greatest  part  of  them  make  Him  greater  than 
Mahomet.  That  it  may  be  fully  known,  that  that 
religion  was  raised  up  of  the  Divine  Providence  of 
the  Lord  for  destroying  the  idolatries  of  very  many 
nations,  it  shall  be  told  in  some  order :  wherefore 
first  concerning  the  origin  of  idolatries.  Before  that 
religion,  the  worship  of  idols  was  common  in  tlie 
whole  habitable  world  :  the  reason  was,  because  the 
churches  before  the  coming  of  the  Lord  were  all  rep- 
resentative churches  :  such  also  was  tlie  Israelitish 
church ;  the  tent  therein,  the  garments  of  Aaron,  the 
sacrifices,  all  things  of  the  temple  of  Jerusalem,  and 
also  the  statutes,  were  representative  ;  and  with  the 
ancients  there  was  the  science  of  correspondences, 
which  is  also  that  of  representations,  itself  the  science 
of  sciences,  especially  cultivated  in  Egypt ;  hence  their 
hieroglyphics  :  from  this  science  they  knew  what 
animals  of  every  kind  signified ;  also  what  trees  of 
every  kind,  as  also  what  mountains,  hills,  rivers, 
fountains;  and  also  what  the  sun.  moon  and  stars; 
and  because  all  their  worship  was  representative, 
consisting  of  mere  correspondences,  therefore  they 
held  worship  upon  mountains  and  hills,  and  also  in 
groves  and  gardens  ;  and  therefore  they  consecrated 
fountains,  and  in  adorations  of  God  turned  their  faces 
to  the  rising  sun:  and  moreover  made  sculptured 
horses,  oxen,  calves,  lambs,  yea,  birds,  fish,  serpents; 
and  placed  them  at  home  and  elsewhere  in  order 
according  to  the  spiritual  things  of  the  church,  to 
which  they  corresponded,  or  which  they  represented. 
They  placed  like  things  also  in  their  temples,  that 
they  might  recal  to  remembrance  the  holy  things 
which  they  signified.  After  a  time,  when  the  science 
of  correspondences  was  obliterated,  posterity  began  to 
worship  the  sculptures  themselves  as  in  themselves 
holy ;  not  knowing  that  the  ancients,  their  parents, 
22=* 


258  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCKRlVLNG 

saw  nothing  holy  in  them,  but  only  that  according  to 
correspondences  they  represented  and  hence  signified 
holy  things.  Hence  arose  the  idolatries,  which  filled 
the  whole  habitable  world,  as  well  Asia  with  the 
neighboring  islands,  as  Africa  and  Europe.  That  all 
these  idolatries  might  be  extirpated,  it  was  brought 
about  of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  that  a 
new  religion,  accommodated  to  the  genius  of  the  ori- 
entals, should  be  introduced;  in  which  there  should  be 
something  from  both  testaments  of  the  Word,  and 
which  should  teach  that  the  Lord  came  into  the 
world,  and  that  he  was  the  greatest  prophet,  the 
wisest  of  all,  and  the  Son  of  God  :  this  was  done  by 
Mahomet,  from  whom  that  religion  is  called  the  Ma- 
hometan religion.  This  religion  was  raised  up  of  the 
Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  and  accommodated, 
as  was  said,  to  the  genius  of  the  orientals,  to  the  end 
that  it  might  destroy  the  idolatries  of  so  many  na- 
tions, and  give  some  knowledge  concerning  the  Lord, 
before  they  should  come  into  the  spiritual  world ; 
which  religion  would  not  have  been  received  by  so 
many  kingdoms,  and  could  not  have  extirpated  the  idol- 
atries, unless  it  had  been  made  conformable  to  and  on 
a  level  with  the  ideas  of  the  thoughts  and  life  of  them 
all.  The  reason  that  they  did  not  acknowledge  the 
Lord  as  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  Avas  because 
the  orientals  acknowledged  God  the  Creator  of  the 
universe,  and  could  not  comprehend  that  He  came 
into  the  world,  and  assumed  the  Human  ;  as  neither 
do  the  christians  comprehend  it,  who  therefore  in 
their  thought  separate  His  Divine  from  His  Human, 
and  place  the  Divine  near  the  Father  in  heaven,  and 
His  Human  they  know  not  where.  From  these  things 
it  may  be  seen,  that  the  Mahometan  religion  arose 
also  of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord:  and  that 
all  those  of  that  religion,  who  acknowledge  the  Lord 
as  the  Son  of  God,  and  at  the  same  time  live  accord- 
ing to  the  commandments  of  the  decalogue,  which 
they  also  have,  by  shunning  evils  as  sins,  come  into 
the  heaven  which  is  called  the  Mahometan  heaven : 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDExNCE,  259 

this  heaven  is  also  divided  into  three  heavens,  the 
highest,  the  middle,  and  the  lowest;  in  the  highest 
heaven  are  those  who  acknowledge  the  Lord  as  one 
with  the  Father,  and  thus  that  he  alone  is  God ; 
in  the  second  heaven  are  those  who  abdicate  many- 
wives  and  live  with  one ;  and  in  the  last,  those  who 
are  being  initiated.  More  concerning  tliis  religion 
maybe  seen  in  the  Continuation  concerning  the  Last 
Judgment,  and  concerning  the  Spiritual  World,  n. 
68  to  72,  where  it  treats  concerning  the  Mahometans 
and  concerning  Mahomet. 

256.  in.  That  the  merely  natural  man  confirms 
himself  against  the  Divine  Providence,  when  he  sees 
that  the  christian  religion  is  only  in  the  smallest  part  of 
the  habitable  world,  which  is  called  Europe,  and  that  it  is 
divided  there :  that  the  christian  religion  is  only  in  the 
smallest  part  of  the  habitable  world,  which  is  called  Eu- 
rope, is  because  it  was  not  accommodated  to  the  genius 
of  the  orientals,  like  the  Mahometan  religion  ;  which 
is  mixed,  as  was  shown  just  above  ;  and  a  religion  not 
accommodated  is  not  received ;  as,  for  example,  a 
religion  which  ordains  that  it  is  not  allowed  to  marry 
many  wives,  is  not  received,  but  is  rejected,  by  those 
who  have  been  polygamists  for  ages  back :  so  also 
with  some  other  ordinances  of  the  christian  religion. 
Nor  does  it  matter,  whether  the  smallest  or  the  largest 
part  of  the  world  receives  it,  provided  there  are  people 
with  whom  the  Word  is;  for  those  still  have  light 
thence,  who  are  out  of  the  church,  and  have  not  the 
Word  ;  as  is  shown  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Je- 
rusalem   CONCERNING    THE    SaCRED    ScRIPTURE,  U.   104   tO 

113  :  and  what  is  wonderful,  where  the  Word  is  read 
with  sanctity,  and  the  Lord  is  worshiped  from  the 
Word,  there  is  the  Lord  with  heaven ;  the  reason  is, 
because  the  Lord  is  the  Word,  and  the  Word  is  the 
divine  truth,  v/hich  makes  heaven ;  wherefore  the 
Lord  says.  Where  two  or  three  are  congregated  in  my 
name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them,  Matt,  xviii. 
20 :  this  can  be  done  with  the  Word  by  Europeans  in 
many  places  of  the  habitable  world,  because  they  have 


200  ANGELIC    WI.sl)0:\I    CONCERNINd 

commerce  over  the  universal  inhabited  world,  and 
everywhere  there  is  either  reading  or  teaching  from 
the  Word  by  them  :  this  appears  like  an  invention, 
but  still  it  is  true.  That  the  christian  religion  is 
divided,  is  because  it  is  from  the  Word,  and  the  Word 
was  written  by  mere  correspondences  ;  and  correspon- 
dences are  for  much  part  appearances  of  truth,  in 
which  however  genuine  truths  lie  inclosed  ;  and  be- 
cause the  doctrine  of  the  church  is  to  be  drawn  from 
the  sense  of  the  letter,  which  is  such,  it  could  not  be 
otherwise  than  that  there  should  exist  in  the  church 
contentions,  controversies  and  dissensions,  especially 
as  to  the  understanding  of  the  Word  ;  but  not  as  to 
the  Word  itself,  and  as  to  the  Divine  itself  of  the 
Lord ;  for  it  is  everywhere  acknowledged  that  the 
Word  is  holy,  and  thai  the  Lord  has  a  Divine,  and 
these  two  are  the  essentials  of  the  church ;  where- 
fore also  they  that  deny  the  Divine  of  the  Lord,  who 
are  those  that  are  called  Socinians,  are  excommunica- 
ted from  the  church  ;  and  they  who  deny  the  sanctity 
of  the  Word,  are  not  reputed  as  christians.  To  these 
things  I  will  add  something  memorable  concerning 
the  Word,  from  which  it  may  be  concluded  that  the 
Word  interiorly  is  the  divine  truth  itself,  and  inmostly 
the  Lord:  when  any  spirit  opens  the  Word,  and  rubs 
his  face  or  garment  with  it,  then  his  face  or  garment, 
from  the  rubbing  alone,  shines  as  brightly  as  (he 
moon  or  as  a  star;  and  this  in  the  sight  of  all  whom 
he  meets :  this  testifies  that  nothing  is  given  in  the 
world  more  holy  than  the  Word.  That  the  Word 
was  written  by  mere  correspondences,  may  be  seen  in 
the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the 
Sacred  Scripture,  n.  5  to  26.  That  the  doctrine  of 
the  church  is  to  be  drawn  from  the  literal  sense  of  the 
Word,  and  confirmed  by  it,  n.  50  to  61  therein.  That 
heresies  can  be  taken  from  the  literal  sense  of  the 
Word,  but  that  it  is  hurtful  to  confirm  them,  n.  91  to 
97.  That  the  church  is  from  the  Word,  and  that  it  is 
such  as  is  its  understanding  of  the  Word,  n.  76  to  79. 
257.    IV.    That  the  merely  natural  man  confirms 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  261 

himself  against  the  Divine  Providence  from  this,  that 
in  very  many  kingdoms,  where  the  christian  religio?i  is 
received,  there  are  those  who  claim  to  themselves  divine 
'power,  and  wish  to  he  worshiped  as  gods  :  and  that 
they  invoke  dead  men.  They  say  indeed  that  they 
have  not  arrogated  to  themselves  divine  power,  and  do 
not  wish  to  be  worshiped  as  gods;  but  still  they  say 
that  they  can  open  and  shnt  lieaven,  remit  and  retain 
sins,  and  so  save  or  condemn  men,  and  this  is  the 
Divine  itself;  for  the  Divine  Providence  has  for  end 
nothing  else  but  reformation  and  thence  salvation  : 
this  is  its  continual  operation  with  everyone;  and 
salvation  cannot  be  effected,  except  by  the  acknow- 
ledgment of  the  Divine  of  the  Lord,  and  by  the  confi- 
dence that  He  does  it,  when  man  lives  according  to 
His  commandments :  who  cannot  see  that  this  is 
Babylon  described  in  the  Apocalypse;  and  that  this  is 
Babel,  which  is  spoken  of  in  the  prophets  throughout] 
that  this  is  also  Lucifer  in  Isaiah  xiv.,  is  manifest  from 
verses  4  to  22  of  that  chapter,  in  which  are  these 
words  :  Tho?t  mayst  proclaim  this  parable  concerning 
the  king  of  Bahel,  verse  4,  and  then,  I  will  cut  off  the 
name  and  rem)iant  from  Bahel,  verse  22  ;  from  which 
it  is  clear,  that  Babel  there  is  Lucifer,  concerning 
whom  it  is  said,  How  hast  thou  fallen  from,  heaven,  O 
Lucifer,  son  of  the  morning:  hut  tho'n  host  said  in 
thy  heart,  I  will  ascend  the  heavens ;  above  the  stars  of 
God  irill  I  exalt  my  throne,  and  trill  sit  on  the  moun- 
tain of  the  congregation,  in  the  sides  of  the  north  ;  I 
will  ascend  above  the  heights  of  the  clouds,  I  will  he- 
come  like  to  the  Most  High,  verses  12,  13,  14.  That 
they  invoke  dead  men,  and  pray  that  they  would 
bring  help,  is  known  :  it  is  said  that  they  invoke  them, 
because  the  invocation  of  them  is  established  by  the 
papal  bull  confirming  the  decree  of  the  council  of 
Trent,  in  which  it  is  openly  said  they  are  to  be  in- 
voked;  yet  who  does  not  know  that  God  alone  is  to 
be  invoked,  and  that  no  dead  man  is?  But  it  shall  now 
be  told  why  the  Lord  permitted  such  things  :  that  He 
permitted  them  for  the  sake  of  the  end,  which  is  sal- 


262  ANGKLIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

vation,  cannot  be  denied  ;  for  it  is  known  that  with- 
out the  Lord  tiicre  is  no  salvation ;  and  because  it  is 
so,  it  was  necessary,  that  tlie  l^ord  should  be  preached 
from  the  Word,  and  by  it  the  christian  church  be 
established  ;  but  this  could  not  be  done,  except  by 
champions,  who  should  do  it  from  zeal ;  nor  were 
others  given  but  those  who  were  in  heat  like  zeal, 
from  the  fire  of  the  love  of  self:  this  fire  first  excited 
them  to  preach  the  Lord  and  to  teach  the  Word  ; 
from  this  primeval  state  of  theirs  it  is,  that  Lucifer  is 
called  son  of  the  inoniing,  verse  12.  But  as  they  saw 
that  by  the  holy  things  of  the  Word  and  of  the  church 
they  could  rule,  the  love  of  self,  by  which  they  were 
at  first  excited  to  preach  the  Ljord,  burst  forth  from  the 
interior,  and  raised  itself  at  length  even  to  that  height, 
that  they  transferred  all  the  divine  power  of  the  Lord 
to  themselves,  not  leaving  anything.  This  could  not 
be  repressed  by  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord, 
for  if  it  were  repressed,  they  would  have  proclaimed 
the  Lord  not  God,  and 'the  Word  not  holy,  and  would 
have  made  themselves  Socinians  or  Arians,  and  thus 
Avould  have  destroyed  the  whole  church ;  which, 
whatever  the  chief  priests  may  be,  still  remains  with 
the  nation  subject  to  them  ;  for  all  those  of  that  re- 
ligion, who  also  go  to  the  Lord,  and  shun  evils  as  sins, 
are  saved;  wherefore  from  them  also  are  very  many 
heavenly  societies  in  the  spiritual  world  :  and  it  was 
also  provided,  that  there  should  be  a  nation  among 
them  which  has  not  gone  under  the  yoke  of  such  dom- 
ination, and  which  liolds  the  Word  holy;  this  nation 
is  the  noble  French  nation.  But  what  was  done? 
when  the  loveof  self  lifted  up  its  dominion  even  to  the 
tlirone  of  the  Lord,  removed  Him,  and  placed  itself 
thereon,  that  love,  which  is  Lucifer,  could  not  do 
otherwise  than  profane  all  things  of  the  Word  and  of 
the  church  ;  lest  it  should  do  which,  the  Lord  by  His 
Divine  Providence  provided  that  they  should  recede 
from  the  worship  of  Him,  and  invoke  dead  men, 
pray  to  the  sculptures  of  them,  kiss  their  bones,  and 
fall   down  at  their  tombs,  prohibit  the   Word   from 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  263 

being  read,  and  place  holy  worship  in  masses  not  un- 
derstood by  the  common  people,  and  sell  salvation  for 
money  ;  since,  if  they  had  not  done  these  things,  they 
would  have  profaned  the  holy  things  of  the  Word  and 
of  the  church  :  for.  as  was  shown  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  no  others  profane  holy  things,  but  they  who 
know  them.  Lest  therefore  they  should  profane  the 
most  Holy  Supper,  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence  that 
they  should  divide  it,  and  give  the  bread  to  the  people, 
and  drink  the  wine  themselves  ;  for  the  wine  in  the 
Holy  Supper  signifies  holy  truth,  and  the  bread  holy 
good  ;  but  when  they  are  divided,  the  wine  signifies 
truth  profaned,  and  the  bread  good  adulterated  ;  and 
moreover  that  they  should  make  it  corporeal  and  ma- 
terial, and  assume  this  as  the  primary  of  religion. 
He  who  turns  attention  to  each  of  these  things,  and 
weighs  them  in  some  illustration  of  mind,  can  see  the 
wonders  of  the  Divine  Providence,  for  protecting  the 
holy  things  of  the  church,  and  for  saving  all  as  many 
as  can  be  saved,  and  as  it  were  of  rescuing  from  the 
fire  those  who  are  willing  to  be  rescued. 

258.  V.  That  the  merely  natural  man  coyifirms  him- 
self against  the  Divine  Providence  from  this,  that 
amo?ig-  those  tv  ho  prof  ess  the  christian  religion,  there  are 
those  20 ho  place  salvation  in  certain  words  which  they 
think  and  speak,  and  not  at  all  in  the  goods  which  they  do. 
That  those  are  such,  who  make  faith  alone  saving,  and 
not  a  life  of  charity,  therefore  who  separate  faith  from 
charity,  is  shown  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem CONCERNING  Faith  ;  and  also  in  the  same,  that 
they  are  understood  in  the  Word  by  the  Philistines, 
and  by  the  dragon,  and  bj''  the  he-goats.  That  such 
a  doctrine  is  also  permitted,  is  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, lest  the  Divine  of  the  Lord,  and  the  Holy  of 
the  Word,  should  be  profaned  :  the  Divine  of  the  Lord 
is  not  profaned,  when  salvation  is  placed  in  these 
words,  "  That  God  the  Father  has  mercy  for  the  sake 
of  the  Son,  who  suffered  on  the  cross,  and  made  satis- 
faction for  us;"  for  thus  they  do  not  go  to  the  Divine 
of  the  Lord,  IduI  to  the  Human,   which  they  do  not 


264  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

acknowledge  as  divine;  neither  is  the  Word  profaned, 
because  they  do  not  attend  to  those  passages  where 
love,  charity,  doing,  and  works  are  named  ;  all  these 
they  say  are  in  the  faith  of  these  words  ;  and  they 
who  confirm  it,  say  with  themselves,  The  law  does  not 
condemn  me,  thus  neither  does  evil ;  and  good  does 
not  save,  because  good  from  me  is  not  good :  where- 
fore they  are  like  those  who  do  not  know  any  truth 
from  the  Word,  and  on  that  account  cannot  profane  it. 
But  no  others  confirm  tiie  faith  of  those  words,  but 
those  who   from   the  love  of  self  are  in  the  pride  of 
their  own  intelligence  ;  neither  are  these  christians  at 
heart,  but  only  wish  to  seem  so.     That  still  the  Di- 
vine Providence  of  the  Lord  continually  operates,  that 
those  should  be  saved,  with  whom  faith  separate  from 
charity  is  made  matter  of  religion,  shall  now  be  said  : 
it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  that,  al- 
though that  faith  has  become  matter  of  religion,  still 
every  one  knows  that  that  faith  does  not  save,  but 
that  a  life  of  charity  does,  with  which  faith  acts  as 
one ;    for  in  all  the  churches  where  that  religion  is 
received,  it  is  taught,  that  there  is  no  salvation,  unless 
man    explores    himself,  sees    his   sins,    acknowledges 
them,  repents,  desists  from  them,  and  enters  on  a  new 
life :  this  is  read  with  much  zeal  before  all  those  who 
approach  the  Holy  Supper;  adding,  that  unless  they 
do  this,  they  will  mix  holy  things  with   profane,  and 
cast  themselves  into  eternal  damnation  ;  yea,  in  Eng- 
land, that  unless  they  do  it,  the  devil  will  enter  into 
them  as  into  Judas,  and  destroy  them  as  to  soul  and 
body :  from  these  things  it  is  manifest,  that  every  one 
in  the  churches  where  faith  alone  is  received,  is  still 
taught  that  evils  are  to  be  shunned  as  sins.     Further, 
every  one  who  is  born  a  christian,  also  knows  that 
evils  are  to  be  shunned  as  sins,  from  this,  that  the  deca- 
logue is  put  into  the  hands  of  every  boy  and  every 
girl,  and  is  taught  by  parents  and  masters ;  and  also 
all  the  citizens  of  the  kingdom,  especially  the  common 
people,  are  examined  by  the  priest  out  of  the  decalogue 
alone,  repeated  from  memory,  as  to  what  they  know 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  265 

of  the  christian  religion  ;  and  also  are  admonished  that 
they  should  do  the  things  which  are  in  it :  it  is  never 
then  said  by  any  bishop  that  they  are  not  under  the 
yoke  of  that  law,  nor  that  they  cannot  do  those  things 
because  there  is  no  good  from  themselves.  The  Atha- 
nasian  Creed  is  also  received  in  the  whole  christian 
world,  and  that  also  is  acknowledged  which  is  last  said 
in  it,  that  the  Lord  will  come  to  judge  the  living  and 
the  dead,  and  then  they  who  have  done  good  will 
enter  into  eternal  life,  and  they  who  have  done  evil  into 
eternal  fire.  In  Sweden,  where  the  religion  of  faith 
alone  is  received,  it  is  also  taught  openly,  that  faith 
separate  from  charity,  or  without  good  works,  is  not 
given  ;  this  is  inserted  in  a  kind  of  Appendix  to  aid 
the  memory  in  all  the  books  of  psalms,  which  is  called 
Hindrances  or  stumbling-blocks  of  the  impenitent, 
Obotferdigas  Foerhinder,  where  are  these  words : 
"  They  who  are  rich  in  good  works,  show  thereby  that 
they  are  rich  in  faith ;  since,  when  faith  is  saving,  it 
operates  by  charity ;  for  justitying  faith  is  never  given 
alone  and  separate  from  good  works,  as  a  good  tree  is 
not  given  without  fruit,  nor  the  sun  without  light  and 
heat,  nor  water  without  moisture."  These  few  things 
are  adduced,  that  it  may  be  known  that  although  the 
religion  of  faith  alone  is  received,  still  the  goods  of 
charity,  which  are  good  works,  are  everywhere  taught, 
and  that  this  is  of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord, 
lest  the  common  people  should  be  seduced  by  it.  I 
have  heard  Luther,  with  whom  I  have  several  times 
spoken  in  the  spiritual  world,  accurse  faith  alone,  and 
say  that  when  he  established  it,  he  was  admonished 
by  an  angel  of  the  Lord  that  he  should  not  do  it;  but 
that  he  thought  with  himself,  that  if  he  did  not  reject 
works,  a  separation  from  the  catholic  religion  would 
not  be  made,  wherefore,  contrary  to  the  admonition, 
he  confirmed  that  faith. 

259.    VL    TJiat  the  rtierely  natitral  man  confirms 

himself  o gainst  the  Divine  P rovidence  from  this,  that 

there  have  been  so  many  heresies  in  the  christian  ivorld, 

and  still  are^  as  Quakerism,  Moravianism,  Anabap- 

23 


266  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

tis7n^  and  more  :  for  he  can  think  with  himself,  If  the 
Divine  Providence  were  universal  in  the  most  partic- 
ular things,  and  had  for  end  the  salvation  of  all,  it 
would  have  caused  that  there  should  be  one  true  reli- 
gion in  the  universal  habitable  world,  and  that  not 
divided,  and  still  less  split  into  heresies :  but  use  rea- 
son, and  think  more  deeply,  if  you  can ;  can  man  be 
saved  unless  he  is  first  reformed  ?  for  he  is  born  into 
the  love  of  self  and  of  the  world  ;  and  because  these 
loves  carry  in  themselves  nothing  of  love  towards 
God,  and  nothing  of  love  towards  tlie  neighbor,  unless 
for  the  sake  of  self,  he  is  also  born  into  evils  of  every 
kind  :  what  of  love  or  mercy  is  there  in  those  loves  7 
does  he  make  anything  of  defrauding  another,  of  defam- 
ing him,  of  hating  him  even  to  death,  of  committing 
adultery  with  his  wife,  of  being  cruel  against  him 
when  he  is  in  revenge;  since  he  bears  in  the  mind  [ani- 
mus] that  he  wishes  to  be  the  highest  of  all,  and  to  pos- 
sess the  goods  of  all  others?  thus  when  he  looks  at  oth- 
ers in  comparison  of  himself,  it  is  as  vile  and  as  good 
for  nothing:  that  such  an  one  may  be  saved,  must  he 
not  first  be  led  away  from  these  evils,  and  thus  he  re- 
formed? that  this  cannot  be  done,  except  according  to 
many  laws,  wliich  are  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, has  been  shown  above  in  many  places ;  which 
laws  for  the  most  part  are  unknown,  and  yet  are  of 
the  Divine  Wisdom  and  at  the  same  time  of  the  Divine 
Love,  contrary  to  which  the  Lord  cannot  act;  for  to 
act  contrary  to  them  would  be  to  destroy  man,  and 
not  to  save  him  :  let  the  laws  which  have  been  adduced 
be  run  through  and  compared,  and  you  will  see.  Since 
therefore  it  is  also  according  to  these  laws,  that  there 
should  be  no  immediate  influx  from  heaven,  but  medi- 
ate through  the  Word,  doctrines  and  preachings ;  and 
the  Word,  that  it  might  be  divine,  could  not  but  be 
written  by  mere  correspondences,  it  follows  that  dis- 
sensions and  heresies  are  inevitable,  and  that  the  per- 
missions of  them  are  also  according  to  the  laws  of  the 
Divine  Providence  :  and  still  more  ;  when  the  church 
itself  had  taken  for  its  essentials  such  things  as  are  of 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  267 

the  understanding  alone,  thus  of  doctrine,  and  not 
such  as  are  of  the  will,  thus  of  the  life,  and  when 
those  things  which  are  of  the  life  are  not  the  essentials 
of  the  chinch,  then  man  from  the  understanding  is  in 
mere  darkness,  and  errs  like  one  blind,  who  runs 
against  everything,  and  falls  into  pits  :  for  the  will  will 
see  in  the  understanding,  and  not  the  understanding 
in  the  will :  or,  what  is  the  same,  the  life  and  its  love 
will  lead  the  understanding  to  think,  speak  and  act, 
and  not  the  reverse  ;  if  the  reverse,  the  understanding 
could,  from  an  evil,  yea,  a  diabolical  love,  seize  what- 
ev^er  falls  in  through  the  senses,  and  enjoin  it  upon 
the  will  to  do  it.  From  these  things  it  may  be  seen, 
whence  dissensions  and  heresies  are.  But  still  it  is 
provided,  that  every  one,  in  whatever  heresy  he  is  as 
to  the  understanding,  may  still  be  reformed  and  saved, 
provided  he  shuns  evils  as  sins,  and  does  not  confirm 
heretical  falsities  with  himself;  for  by  shunning  evils 
as  sins  the  will  is  reformed,  and  through  the  will  the 
understanding,  which  then  first  comes  out  of  darkness 
into  light.  There  are  three  essentials  of  the  church, 
the  acknowledgment  of  the  Divine  of  the  Lord,  the 
acknowledgment  of  the  sanctity  of  the  Word,  and 
the  life  which  is  called  charity  ;  according  to  the  life, 
which  is  charity,  every  man  has  faith  :  from  the  Word, 
is  the  knowledge  of  what  life  must  be  ;  and  from  the 
Lord  is  reformation  and  salvation.  If  these  three  had 
been  as  the  essentials  of  the  church,  intellectual  dis- 
sensions would  not  have  divided,  but  only  varied  it, 
as  the  light  varies  the  colors  in  beautiful  objects,  and 
as  various  diadems  make  the  beauty  in  a  king's  crown. 
260.  VII.  That  the  •merely  natural  man  confirms 
himself  against  the  Divine  Providence  from  this,  that 
Judaism  still  continues.  That  the  Jews  have  not  been 
converted  after  so  many  ages,  although  they  live 
among  christians,  and  that,  according  to  the  predic- 
tions in  the  Word,  they  do  not  confess  the  Lord  and 
acknowledge  Him  as  the  Messiah,  who,  as  they  think, 
was  to  lead  them  back  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  and 
that  they  firmly  persist  in  the  denial,  and  yet  it  is  still 


268  ANGELIC    WISDOM    COlSrCERNING 

well  with  them  :  but  they  who  think  thus,  and  there- 
fore call  into  doubt  the  Divine  Providence,  do  not 
know  that  by  the  Jews  in  the  Word  are  understood  all 
who  are  of  the  church  and  acknowledge  the  Lord, 
and  that  by  the  land  of  Canaan,  into  which  it  is  said 
that  they  are  to  be  introduced,  is  understood  the 
church  of  the  Lord  :  but  that  they  persevere  in  the  de- 
nial of  the  Lord,  is  because  they  are  such  that  if  they 
should  receive  and  acknowledge  the  Divine  of  the 
Lord,  and  the  holy  things  of  His  church,  they  would 
profane  them ;  wherefore  tlie  Lord  says  concerning 
them,  He  liath  blinded  their  eyes,  and  hardened  their 
heart,  that  they  should  not  see  with  their  eyes,  and 
understand  with  their  heart,  and  turn  themselves  round, 
and  I  should  Iieal  theni :  John  xii.  42;  Matt.  xiii.  14; 
Mark  iv.  12  ;  Luke  viii.  10  ;  Isa.  vi.  9,  10  :  it  is  said, 
"  lest  they  should  turn  themselves  round,  and  I  shoitld 
heal  them,"  because  if  they  had  been  turned  round 
and  healed,  they  would  have  profaned ;  and  it  is 
according  to  a  law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  concern- 
ing which  above,  n.  221  to  223,  that  no  one  is  let 
interiorly  into  the  truths  of  faith  and  goods  of  charity 
by  the  Lord,  except  as  far  as  he  can  be  kept  in  them 
until  the  end  of  life;  and  if  he  were  let  in,  he  would 
profane  holy  things.  That  that  nation  is  preserved, 
and  scattered  around  through  much  of  the  world,  is 
for  the  sake  of  the  Word  in  its  original  tongue,  which 
they  hold  holy  above  christians  ;  and  in  each  thing  of 
the  Word  is  the  Divine  of  the  Lord  ;  for  it  is  the 
Divine  Truth  united  to  the  Divine  Good,  whicji  pro- 
ceeds from  the  Lord ;  and  thereby  the  Word  is  the 
conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  the  church,  and  the 
presence  of  heaven  ;  as  is  shown  in  the  Doctrine  of 
THE  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
ture, n.  62  to  69;  and  there  is  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  and  of  heaven,  wherever  the  AVord  is  read  with 
sanctity  :  this  is  the  end  of  the  Divine  Providence,  for 
the  sake  of  which  they  have  been  preserved,  and  scat- 
tered around  through  much  of  the  world.  What  is 
their  lot  after  death,  may  be  seen  in  the  Continuation 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  269 

CONCERNING     THE     LaST     JuDGBIENT     AND     THE     SPIRITUAL 

World,  n.  79  to  82. 

261.  These  then  are  the  thhigs  which  were  adduced 
above,  n.  238,  by  which  the  natural  man  confirms 
himself,  or  may  confirm  himself,  against  the  Divine 
Providence  :  there  still  follow  some  things,  that  were 
mentioned  above,  n.  239  ;  which  also  may  serve 
the  natural  man  as  arguments  against  the  Divine 
Providence,  and  also  may  fall  into  the  minds  of  others, 
and  excite  some  doubts;  which  are  these: 

262.  I.  That  a  doubt  may  be  inferred  against  the 
Divine  Providetice  from  this,  that  the  whole  christian 
world  worships  one  God  under  three  persons,  which  is, 
three  Gods  ;  and  that  hitherto  it  has  not  known,  that 
God  is  one  in  ])erso7i  and  in  essence,  in  xchom  is  a  trin- 
ity, and  that  that  God  is  the  Lord.  The  reasoner  con- 
cerning the  Divine  Providence  may  say.  Are  not  three 
persons  three  Gods,  when  each  person  by  itself  is  God  1 
who  can  think  otherwise,  yea,  who  does  think  other- 
wise] Athanasius  himself  could  not;  wherefore  in 
the  Creed  which  is  named  from  him,  he  says,  "  Al- 
thongh  from  christian  truth  we  ought  to  acknowledge 
each  person  to  be  God  and  Lord,  still  it  is  not  permitted 
from  christian  faith  to  say  or  to  name  three  Gods  or 
three  Lords  :^^  by  this  nothing  else  is  understood  but 
that  we  ought  to  acknowledge  three  Gods  and  Lords, 
but  that  it  is  not  permitted  to  say  or  name  three  Gods 
and  three  Lords.  Who  can  ever  perceive  one  God, 
unless  He  is  also  one  in  person  7  if  it  is  said,  that  he 
can  perceive,  if  he  thinks  that  the  three  have  one 
essence,  who  perceives  and  can  perceive  anything  else 
from  this,  but  that  thus  they  are  imanimous,  and  that 
they  agree,  and  still  that  there  are  three  Gods  1  and 
if  he  thinks  more  deeply,  he  says  with  himself.  How 
can  the  divine  essence,  which  is  infinite,  be  divided  7 
and  how  can  it  beget  another  from  eternity,  and  pro- 
duce still  another  which  proceeds  from  both?  If  it  is 
said,  that  this  is  to  be  believed,  and  is  not  to  be 
thought  about;  yet  who  does  not  think  concerning 
that  which  it  is  said  is  to  be  believed  7  whence  else 

23* 


270  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNTNGT 

is  acknowledgment,  which  is  faith  in  its  essence  1 
from  the  thought  concerning  God  as  concerning  three 
persons  did  not  Socinianism  and  Arianism  arise  1 
which  reign  in  the  hearts  of  more  than  you  beheve  : 
the  behef  of  one  God,  and  that  tliat  one  God  is  the 
Lord,  makes  the  church ;  for  in  Him  is  the  Divine 
Trinity  :  that  it  is  so,  maybe  seen  in  the  Doctrine  of 
THE  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord,  from  begin- 
ning to  end.  But  what  is  thought  at  this  day  con- 
cerning the  Lord  ?  is  it  not  thought  that  He  is  God 
and  man  7  God  from  Jehovah  the  Father,  from  whom 
He  was  conceived ;  and  man  from  the  virgin  Mary, 
of  whom  He  was  born  ?  who  thinks  that  God  and 
Man  in  Him,  or  His  Divine  and  Human,  are  one 
person  ;  and  that  they  are  one  as  soul  and  body  are 
one  ?  does  any  one  know  this  ?  ask  the  doctors  of  the 
church,  and  they  will  say  that  they  do  not  know, 
when  yet  it  is  received  from  the  doctrine  of  the  church 
in  the  universal  christian  world,  which  is  this,  Our 
Lord  Jcsns  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  is  God  ajid  Man  ; 
and  although  He  is  God  and  Man,  still  they  are  not 
two,  but  there  is  one  Christ ;  He  is  one,  hecanse  the 
Divine  took  to  itself  the  Human,  yea,  He  is  altogether 
one,  for  He  is  one  person,  since  as  soul  and  body  make 
one  man,  so  God  and  man  is  one  Christ :  this  is  from 
the  Faith  or  Creed  of  Athanasius  :  that  they  have  not 
known  it  is  because,  when  they  have  read  it,  they  have 
not  thought  concerning  the  Lord  as  God,  but  only  as 
concerning  man.  If  the  same  are  asked  whether  they 
know  of  whom  He  was  conceived,  whether  of  God  the 
Father,  or  of  His  Divine,  they  will  also  answer  that  it 
was  of  God  the  Father,  for  this  is  according  to  the  Scrip- 
ture :  are  not  then  the  Father  and  He  one,  as  soul  and 
body  are  one  7  who  can  think  that  he  was  conceived  of 
two  Divines,  and  if  of  His,  that  That  would  be  His 
Father.  If  you  still  ask,  What  is  your  idea  concern- 
ing the  Divine  of  the  Lord,  and  what  concerning  His 
Human  7  they  will  say  that  His  Divine  is  from  the 
essence  of  the  Father,  and  the  Human  from  the 
essence  of  the  mother,  and  that  His  Divine  is  with 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  271 

the  Father  ;  and  if  you  then  ask,  Where  is  His 
Human,  they  will  answer  nothing ;  for  in  their  idea 
they  separate  His  Divine  and  Human,  and  make  the 
Divine  equal  to  the  Divine  of  the  Father,  and  the 
Human  like  the  human  of  another  man  ;  and  do  not 
know  that  thus  they  also  separate  soul  and  body  ;  nor 
see  the  contradiction,  that  thus  He  would  have  been 
born  a  rational  man  from  the  mother  alone.  From 
the  idea  impressed  concerning  the  Human  of  the 
Lord,  that  it  was  like  the  human  of  another  man,  it 
has  come,  that  the  christian  can  with  difficulty  be  led 
to  think  of  a  Divine  Human,  although  it  were  said 
that  His  soul  or  life  from  conception  was  and  is  Jeho- 
vah Himself.  Collect  now  reasons,  and  consider 
whether  there  is  any  other  God  of  the  universe  but 
the  Lord  alone,  in  whom  the  Divine  itself  from  which 
He  is,  is  what  is  called  the  Father,  the  Divine  Human 
what  is  called  the  Son,  and  the  proceeding  Divine 
what  is  called  the  Holy  Spirit;  and  thus  that  God  is 
one  in  person  and  essence,  and  that  that  God  is  the 
Lord.  If  you  insist,  saying  that  the  Lord  Himself 
named  Three  in  Matthew,  Go  and  make  disciples  of  all 
nations^  baptizing  them  into  the  yiame  of  the  Father^ 
of  the  f^on,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit^  xxviii.  19  :  yet 
He  said  this,  that  it  might  be  known  that  in  Him 
now  glorified  there  was  a  Divine  Trinity,  is  manifest 
from  the  verse  next  preceding  and  the  next  following 
there  :  in  the  verse  next  preceding  He  says,  that  to 
Him  was  given  all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  and 
in  the  verse  next  following  He  says,  that  He  would  be 
with  them  until  the  consummation  of  the  age  :  thus 
speaking  concerning  Himself  alone,  and  not  concern- 
ing three.  Now  as  to  the  Divine  Providence,  why  it 
has  permitted  that  christians  should  worship  one  God 
under  three  persons,  that  is,  three  Gods,  and  hitherto 
have  not  known  that  God  is  one  in  person  and  essence, 
in  whom  is  a  trinity,  and  that  that  God  is  the  Lord, 
the  Lord  is  not  the  cause,  but  man  himself:  the  Lord 
has  taught  it  manifestly  in  His  Word,  as- may  be  evi- 
dent from  all  those  passages  which  are  adduced  in  the 


272  angelio  wisdom  concerning 

Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord; 
and  He  has  also  taught  it  in  tlie  doctrine  of  all  ciiurch- 
es,  in  which  it  is,  that  His  Divine  and  Human  are  not 
two,  but  one  person  united  like  soul  and  body  :  but 
that  they  have  divided  the  Divine  and  the  Human, 
and  made  the  Divine  equal  to  the  Divine  of  Jehovah 
the  Father,  and  the  Human  equal  to  the  human  of 
another  man,  the  first  reason  was,  because  the  church 
after  its  rise  revolted  into  Babylon,  which  transferred 
to  itself  the  divine  power  of  the  Lord  ;  yet,  that  it 
might  not  be  called  divine  power,  but  human,  they 
made  the  Human  of  the  Lord  like  the  human  of 
another  man  :  and  afterwards,  when  the  church  was 
reformed,  and  faith  alone  received  as  the  only  means 
of  salvation,  which  is  that  God  the  Father  has  mercy 
for  the  sake  of  the  Son,  the  Human  of  the  Lord  could 
not  be  otherwise  regarded  :  the  reason  that  it  could 
not,  was  because  no  one  can  go  to  the  Lord,  and 
acknowledge  Him  in  heart  as  the  God  of  heaven  and 
earth,  except  he  who  lives  according  to  His  command- 
ments :  in  the  spiritual  world,  where  every  one  is 
obliged  to  speak  as  he  thinks,  no  one  can  even  name 
Jesus,  except  he  who  has  lived  in  the  world  as  a 
christian ;  and  this  is  of  His  Divine  Providence,  lest 
His  name  should  be  profaned. 

263.  But  that  these  things  which  have  now  been 
said  may  lie  open  the  more  clearly,  I  will  add  those 
things  which  are  adduced  in  the  Doctrine  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord,  at  the  end,  n. 
60,  61 ;  which  are  these  :  "  That  God  and  Man  in  the 
Lord,  according  to  the  doctrine,  are  not  two,  but  one 
person,  and  altogether  one,  as  soul  and  body  are  one, 
is  clearly  manifest  from  many  things  which  He  said, 
as,  That  the  Father  and  He  are  one  :  That  all  things 
of  the  Father  are  His,  and  all  His  tlie  Father's:  That 
He  is  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  Him :  That 
all  things  are  given  into  His  hand  :  That  He  has  all 
power:  That  He  is  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth: 
That  he  who  believes  on  Him  has  eternal  life ;  and 
that  he  who  does  not  believe  on  Him,  the  wrath  of 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  273 

God  remains  upon  him  :  and  further,  that  both  the 
Divine  and  the  Human  were  taken  up  into  heaven, 
and  that  as  to  both  He  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  God, 
that  is.  that  He  is  omnipotent ;  and  more  things 
which  have  been  adduced  above  from  the  Word  con- 
cerning His  Divine  Human  in  great  abundance ;  all 
which  testify,  that  God  is  one  as  well  in  person 
as  in  essence,  in  whom  is  a  trinity,  and  that  that 
God  is  the  Lord.  That  these  things  concerning  the 
Lord  are  now  first  published,  is  because  it  is  pre- 
dicted in  the  Apocalypse,  chapters  xxi.  and  xxii.,  that 
a  new  church  is  to  be  instituted  at  the  end  of  the 
former,  in  which  this  shall  be  the  primary :  this 
church  is  what  is  there  understood  by  the  New  Jeru- 
salem, into  which  no  one  can  enter,  except  he  who 
acknowledges  the  Lord  alone  as  the  God  of  heaven 
and  earth  ;  wherefore  that  church  is  there  called  the 
Wife  of  the  Lamb  :  and  this  1  can  announce,  that  the 
universal  heaven  acknowledges  the  Lord  alone,  and 
that  he  who  does  not,  is  not  admitted  into  heaven ; 
for  heaven  is  lieaven  from  the  Lord :  that  very  ac- 
knowledgment from  love  and  faith  causes  them  to  be 
in  the  Lord  and  the  Lord  in  them,  as  He  teaches  in 
John  :  In  that  day  ye  shall  knoxo  that  I  ain  in  tny 
Father^  and  ye  in  Me,  and  I  in  you,  xiv.  20  :  again  in 
the  same  :  Remain  in  Me,  and  I  in  you :  I  am  the 
vine,  ye  the  branches  ;  he  that  remaineth  in  Me,  and  I 
i?i  him,  beareth  much  fruit ;  for  iirithout  Me  ye  can  do 
nothing :  except  one  remain  in  Me,  he  is  cast  forth : 
chap.  XV.  4,  5,  6  :  also  chap.  xvii.  22,  23.  That  this 
has  not  been  before  seen  from  the  Word,  is  because 
if  it  had  been  seen  before,  still  it  would  not  have  been 
received :  for  the  last  judgment  was  not  yet  accom- 
plished ;  and  before  that,  the  power  of  hell  prevailed 
over  the  power  of  heaven  ;  and  man  is  in  the  middle 
between  heaven  and  hell ;  wherefore  if  it  had  been 
seen  before,  the  devil,  that  is  hell,  would  have 
snatched  it  out  of  their  hearts,  and  moreover  would 
have  profaned  it.  This  state  of  the  power  of  hell 
was  altogether  broken  by  the  last  judgment,  which  is 


274  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

now  accomplished :  after  it,  that  is,  now,  every  man 
who  wishes  to  bo  ilhistrated  and  be  wise,  can." 

264.  11.  That  a  doubt  may  be  inferred  against  the 
Divine  Providence  front  this^  that  hitherto  they  have  tioi 
known,  that  in  each  thing  of  the  Word  there  is  a  spirit- 
ual sense,  and  that  its  sanctity  is  thence :  for  a  doubt  may 
be  inferred  against  the  Divine  Providence,  saying, 
Why  is  this  now  first  revealed?  also,  Why  by  this 
one  or  by  that  one.  and  not  by  some  primate  of  the 
church  1  but  whether  it  should  be  a  primate,  or  the 
servant  of  a  primate,  is  in  the  good  pleasure  of  the 
Lord  :  He  knows  what  the  one  is,  and  what  the  other. 
But  the  reason  that  that  sense  of  the  Word  has  not  been 
revealed  before,  is,  I.  Because  if  it  had  been  before,  the 
church  would  have  profaned  it,  and  thereby  the  sanc- 
tity itself  of  the  Word.  II.  That  neither  the  genuine 
truths,  in  which  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  is,  were 
revealed  by  the  Lord,  until  after  the  last  judgment 
was  accomplished,  and  a  new  church,  which  is  un- 
derstood by  the  Holy  Jerusalem,  was  to  be  established 
by  the  Lord  :  but  let  these  be  examined  one  by  one. 
First  :  That  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  has  not 
been  reveo.led  before,  because,  if  it  had  been,  the  church 
woidd  have  profaned  it,  and  thereby  the  sanctity  itself 
of  the  Word.  The  church,  not  long  after  its  estab- 
lishment, was  turned  into  Babylonia,  and  afterwards 
into  PhiHstia ;  and  Babylonia  indeed  acknowledges 
the  Word,  but  still  despises  it,  saying  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  inspires  them  in  their  supreme  judgment  equally 
as  it  inspired  the  prophets  :  that  they  acknowledge 
the  Word,  is  for  the  sake  of  the  vicegerency  founded 
on  the  words  of  the  Lord  to  Peter;  yet  still  they 
despise  it,  because  it  does  not  harmonize ;  therefore 
also  it  is  wrested  from  the  people,  and  is  hid  up  in 
the  monasteries,  where  few  read  it ;  wherefore  if  the 
spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  had  been  disclosed,  in 
which  the  Lord  is,  and  at  the  same  time  all  angelic 
wisdom,  the  Word  would  be  profaned,  not  only  as  is 
done  in  its  ultimates,  which  are  the  things  that  are 
contained  in  the  literal  sense,  but  also  in  its  inmost 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  275 

things.  Philistia,  by  which  is  understood  faith  sepa- 
rate from  charity,  would  also  have  profaned  the  spir- 
itual sense  of  the  Word,  because  it  places  salvation  in 
certain  words  which  they  think  and  speak,  and  not 
in  the  goods  which  they  do,  as  has  been  before  shown; 
and  thus  it  makes  saving  what  is  not  saving,  and 
moreover  removes  the  understanding  from  things  to 
be  believed  :  what  have  they  to  do  with  the  light  in 
which  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  is?  would  it 
not  be  turned  into  darkness  ?  when  the  natural  sense 
is  turned  into  it,  what  would  not  be  done  with  the 
spiritual  sense?  who  of  them,  that  has  confirmed 
himself  in  faith  separate  from  charity,  and  in  justifi- 
cation by  it  alone,  wishes  to  know  what  good  of  life 
is,  what  love  to  the  Lord  and  towards  the  neighbor 
are,  what  is  charity  and  what  the  goods  of  charity, 
and  what  good  works  are,  and  what  doing  is,  yea, 
what  faith  is  in  its  essence,  and  any  genuine  truth 
which  makes  it  ?  they  write  volumes,  and  confirm 
only  that  which  they  call  faith,  and  all  the  things 
that  have  now  been  named  they  say  are  in  that  faith. 
From  which  it  is  manifest,  that  if  the  spiritual  sense 
of  the  Word  had  been  disclosed  before,  it  would  come 
to  pass  according  to  the  words  of  the  Lord  in  Matthew, 
"  If  thy  eye  be  evil,  the  whole  body  will  be  darkened  : 
if  therefore  the  light  which  is  in  thee  be  darkness, 
how  great  is  the  darkness ;"  vi.  23  :  by  eye  in  the 
spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  is  understood  the  under- 
standing. Secondly  :  That  neither  the  genuine  truths, 
in  which  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  is,  were 
revealed  hy  the  Lord,  imtil  after  the  last  judgment 
was  accomplished,  and  a  new  church,  which  is  under- 
stood by  the  Hohj  Jerusalem,  was  to  be  established  by 
the  Lord:  it  was  foretold  by  the  Lord  in  the  Apoca- 
lypse, that  after  the  last  judgment  was  accomplished, 
genuine  truths  were  to  be  disclosed,  a  new  church 
was  to  be  established,  and  the  spiritual  sense  to  be 
unfolded :  that  the  last  judgment  has  been  accom- 
plished, is  shown  in  a  small  work  concerning  the 
Last  Judgment,  and  afterwards  in  the  Continuation 


276  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

of  it ;  and  that  that  is  understood  by  the  heaven  and 
earth  which  were  to  pass  away,  in  the  Apocalypse, 
chap.  xxi.  1.  That  genuine  truths  were  then  to  be 
unfolded,  is  foretold  by  these  words  in  the  Apocalypse: 
"  He  that  sat  upon  the  throne  said,  Behold,  I  make 
all  things  new,"  verse  5:  also  chap.  xix.  17,  18;  xxi. 
18  to  21  ;  xxii.  1,  2.  That  the  spiritual  sense  of  the 
Word  is  then  to  be  revealed,  chap.  xix.  11  to  16  :  this 
is  understood  by  the  white  horse,  he  that  sat  upon 
■which  was  called  the  Word  of  God,  and  who  was 
Lord  of  lords  and  King  of  kings,  concerning  which 
subject  may  be  seen  the  small  work  concerning  the 
White  Horse.  That  by  the  Holy  Jerusalem  is  under- 
stood a  New  Church,  which  was  then  to  be  estab- 
lished by  the  Lord,  rnay  be  seen  in  the  Doctrine  of 
THE  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord,  n.  62  to  65, 
where  that  is  shown.  From  these  things  then  it  is 
manifest,  that  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  was  to  be 
revealed  for  a  New  Church,  which  shall  acknowledge 
and  worship  the  Lord  alone,  and  shall  hold  His  Word 
holy,  and  love  divine  truths,  and  reject  faith  separate 
from  charity.  But  more  concerning  this  sense  of  the 
Word  may  be  seen  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem concerning  the  SSacred  Scripture,  n.  5  to  26  and 
following  numbers ;  and  also  what  the  spiritual  sense 
is,  n.  5  to  26.  That  the  spiritual  sense  is  in  each  and 
every  thing  of  the  Word,  n.  9  to  17.  That  it  is  from 
the  spiritual  sense  that  the  Word  is  divinely  inspired, 
and  holy  in  every  word,  n.  18,  19.  That  the  spiritual 
sense  has  hitherto  been  unknown,  and  why  it  has  not 
before  been  revealed,  n.  20  to  25.  That  the  spiritual 
sense  is  not  given  to  any  one  hereafter,  except  to  him 
who  is  in  genuine  truths  from  the  Lord,  n.  26.  From 
these  things  it  may  now  be  evident,  that  it  is  of  the 
Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  that  the  spiritual 
sense  has  lain  hid  before  the  world  until  this  age,  and 
has  in  the  mean  time  been  preserved  in  heaven  with 
the  angels,  who  draw  their  wisdom  thence.  That 
sense  was  known  and  also  cultivated  among  the 
ancients,  who  lived  before  Moses  ;  but  because  their 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  277 

posterity  turned  correspondences,  of  which  alone  their 
Word  and  thence  their  rehgion  consisted,  into  various 
idolatries,  and  the  Egyptians  into  magics,  it  was  by 
the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  closed  up,  first 
with  the  children  of  Israel,  and  afterwards  with 
christians,  for  the  reasons  mentioned  above;  and  is 
now  first  opened  for  the  New  Church  of  the  Lord. 

265.  III.  That  a  doubt  may  be  inferred  against  the 
Divine  Providence  from  this,  that  hitherto  they  have 
not  known,  that  to  shun  evils  as  sins  is  the  christian 
religion  itself.  That  this  is  the  christian  religion 
itself,  is  shown  in  the  Doctrine  of  Life  for  the  New 
Jeru-salem,  from  beginning  to  end;  and  because  faith 
separate  from  charity  alone  hinders  it  from  being 
received,  that  also  is  treated  of  It  is  said  that  they 
have  not  known  that  to  shun  evils  as  sins  is  the  chris- 
tian religion  itself,  because  almost  all  do  not  know, 
and  yet  every  one  does  know ;  see  above,  n.  258 : 
that  still  almost  all  do  not  know  it,  is  because  faith 
separate  has  obliterated  it ;  for  it  says,  that  faith  alone 
saves,  and  not  any  good  work  or  good  of  charity; 
also  that  they  are  no  longer  under  the  yoke  of  the 
law,  but  in  liberty :  those  who  have  several  times 
heard  such  things,  no  longer  think  concerning  any 
evil  of  life,  nor  concerning  any  good  of  life  :  every 
man  also  from  his  nature  inclines  to  embrace  this  ; 
and  when  he  has  once  embraced  it,  he  thinks  no  more 
concerning  the  state  of  his  life :  this  is  the  cause  that 
it  is  not  known.  That  it  is  not  known,  was  disclosed 
to  me  in  the  spiritual  world:  I  asked  more  than  a 
thousand  new-comers  from  the  world,  whether  they 
knew  that  to  shun  evils  as  sins  is  religion  itself:  they 
said  that  they  did  not  know  it,  and  that  this  was 
something  new.  hitherto  not  heard  of;  but  that  it  is 
heard,  that  they  cannot  do  good  of  themselves,  and 
that  they  are  not  under  the  yoke  of  the  law  :  when  I 
asked  whether  they  did  not  know  that  man  should 
explore  himself,  should  see  his  sins,  repent,  and  then 
begin  a  new  life;  and  that  otherwise  sins  are  not 
remitted;  and  if  sins  are  not  remitted,  they  are  not 
24 


278  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

saved ;  and  that  this  was  read  hefore  them  in  a  full 
voice,  as  often  as  they  came  to  the  Holy  Supper ; 
they  answered  that  they  had  not  attended  to  those 
things,  hut  only  to  this,  that  they  have  remission  of 
sins  through  the  sacrament  of  the  Supper;  and  that 
faith  operates  the  rest,  without  their  knowing  it. 
Again  I  said,  Why  have  you  taught  your  children 
the  decalogue  7  was  it  not  that  they  might  know 
what  evils  are  sins,  which  are  to  be  shunned?  was  it 
only  that  they  might  know  and  believe  these  things, 
and  not  do  them  ?  why  then  is  it  said  that  this  is 
new  7  to  this  they  could  answer  nothing  else,  but  that 
they  knew,  and  still  did  not  know ;  and  that  they 
never  thought  concerning  the  sixth  commandment 
when  they  were  committing  adultery,  nor  concern- 
ing the  seventh  when  they  were  clandestinely  steal- 
ing or  defrauding,  and  so  on ;  still  less  that  such 
things  are  against  the  divine  law,  thus  against  God. 
When  1  mentioned  many  things  from  the  doctrines 
of  the  churches  and  from  the  Word,  proving  that  to 
shun  and  loathe  evils  as  sins  is  the  christian  religion 
itself,  and  that  every  one  has  faith  as  he  shuns  and 
loathes  them,  they  were  silent:  but  they  were  con- 
firmed that  it  was  true,  when  they  saw  that  all  were 
explored  as  to  life,  and  were  judged  according  to  deeds, 
and  no  one  according  to  faith  separate  from  life,  since 
according  to  it  every  one  has  faith.  That  the  christian 
world  for  the  most  part  has  not  known  this,  is 
from  the  law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  it  is  left 
to  every  one  to  act  from  freedom  according  to  reason, 
concerning  which  above,  n.  71  to  99,  and  n.  lOl)  to 
128  :  also  from  the  law,  that  no  one  is  taught  from 
heaven  immediately,  but  mediately  through  the  Word, 
doctrine  and  preachings  from  it,  concerning  which, 
n.  154  to  174.  And  also  from  all  the  laws  of  permis- 
sion, which  are  also  laws  of  the  Divine  Providence. 
More  on  these  subjects  may  be  seen  above,  n.  258. 

274.  IV.  TJiat  a  doubt  may  he  inferred  against  the 
Divine  Providence  from,  this,  that  hitherto  they  have 
not  ktiowti,  that  riian  lives  a  man  after  death ;  and 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  279 

this  has  not  been  before  disclosed.  The  reason  that 
they  have  not  known  this  is  because  interiorly,  with 
those  who  do  not  shun  evils  as  sins,  there  lurks  the 
belief,  that  man  does  not  live  after  death,  and  there- 
fore they  make  it  of  no  moment  whether  it  is  said 
that  he  lives  a  man  after  death,  or  whether  it  is  said 
that  he  is  to  rise  on  the  day  of  the  last  judgment  ; 
and  if  by  chance  he  falls  upon  the  belief  of  the  resur- 
rection, he  says  within  himself  It  becomes  no  worse 
for  me  than  for  others :  if  it  is  to  hell,  I  am  in  com- 
pany with  many  ;  if  to  heaven,  the  same.  But  still, 
there  is  implanted  in  all,  in  whom  there  is  any  religion, 
a  knowledge  that  they  live  men  after  death  :  the  idea 
that  they  live  souls,  and  not  men,  is  only  with  those 
whom  their  own  intelligence  has  infatuated  ;  not  with 
others.  That  there  is  implanted  in  every  one,  in 
whom  there  is  any  religion,  a  knowledge  that  he  lives 
a  man  after  death,  may  be  evident  from  these  things. 
1.  Who  thinks  otherwise,  when  he  is  dying  ?  2.  What 
eulogist,  who  is  lamenting  over  the  dead,  does  not 
carry  them  up  to  heaven,  place  them  among  the  an- 
gels, speaking  with  them,  and  enjoying  joy  7  besides 
the  deifications  of  some.  3.  Who  of  the  common 
people  does  not  believe  that  when  he  dies,  if  he  has 
lived  well,  he  is  to  come  into  a  heavenly  paradise,  be 
clothed  in  a  white  garment,  and  enjoy  eternal  life? 
4.  What  priest  is  there  who  does  not  say  such  or  the 
like  things  to  one  about  to  die ;  and  also  believe  it 
himself  when  he  says  it,  provided  he  does  not  at  the 
same  time  think  concerning  the  last  judgment?  5. 
Who  does  not  believe  that  his  children  are  in  heaven, 
and  that  after  death  he  shall  see  his  consort  whom  he 
has  loved?, who  thinks  that  they  are  spectres?  still 
less  that  they  are  souls  or  minds  flitting  about  in  the 
universe  ?  6.  Who  contradicts,  when  anything  is 
said  concerning  the  lot  and  state  of  those  that  have 
passed  from  time  into  the  eternal  life?  I  have  said  to 
many,  that  such  and  such  had  such  a  state  and  lot ; 
and  I  have  not  hitherto  heard  any  one  say,  that  no  lot 
is  fixed  for  them  yet,  but  is  to  be,  at  the  time  of  the 


280  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

judgment.  7.  Who,  when  he  sees  angels  painted  and 
sculptured,  does  not  acknowledge  them  to  be  such? 
who  then  thinks,  like  some  of  the  learned,  that  they 
are  spirits  without  a  body,  airs  or  clouds  7  8.  The 
papists  believe  that  their  saints  are  men  in  heaven, 
and  that  the  rest  are  elsewhere :  the  Mahometans, 
that  their  deceased  are  :  the  Africans  do,  above  others  : 
in  like  manner,  many  nations :  why  do  not  the  re- 
formed christians,  who  know  this  from  the  Word? 
9.  From  this  knowledge  implanted  in  every  one,  it  also 
is,  that  some  aspire  to  immortality  of  fame ;  for  this 
knowledge  is  turned  into  such  a  thing  with  some,  and 
makes  them  heroes  and  brave  in  war.  10.  It  was 
inquired  in  the  spiritual  world,  whether  this  know- 
ledge is  implanted  in  all ;  and  it  was  found,  that  it 
was  in  all,  in  their  spiritual  idea,  which  is  of  internal 
thought;  not  so  in  their  natural  idea,  which  is  of 
external  thought.  From  these  things  it  may  be  evi- 
dent, that  no  doubt  ought  to  be  inferred  against  the 
Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  from  this,  that  he 
thinks  that  it  is  now  first  disclosed  that  man  lives  a 
man  after  death.  It  is  only  the  sensual  of  man  which 
wishes  to  see  and  touch  what  it  believes :  he  who 
does  not  think  above  it,  is  in  the  darkness  of  night 
concernina;  the  state  of  his  life. 


THAT    EVILS    ARE    PERMITTED    FOR    THE    SAKE    OF    THE    END, 
WHICH    IS    SALVATION. 

275.  If  man  were  born  into  the  love  into  which  he 
was  created,  he  would  not  be  in  any  evil ;  yea,  neither 
would  he  know  what  evil  was;  for  he  who  lias  not 
been  in  evil,  and  thence  is  not  in  evil,  cannot  know 
what  evil  is  :  if  it  were  said  to  him  that  this  and  that 
is  evil,  he  would  not  believe  that  it  was  possible  :  this 
state  is  the  state  of  innocence,  in  which  Adam  and  his 
wife  Eve  were ;  the  nakedness  of  which  they  were  not 
ashamed,  signified  that  state.  The  knowledge  of  evil 
after  the  fall,  is  understood  by  eating  of  the  tree  of 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  281 

the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  The  love,  into  which 
man  was  created,  is  the  love  of  the  neighbor,  that  he 
may  will  as  well  to  him  as  he  wills  to  himself,  and 
better;  and  that  he  maybe  in  the  delight  of  that  love, 
when  he  is  doing  good  to  him,  scarcely  otherwise  than 
a  parent  is  towards  his  children.  This  love  is  trnly 
human;  for  in  it  there  is  a  spiritual,  by  which  it  is 
distinguished  from  natural  love,  which  brute  animals 
have:  if  man  were  born  into  that  love,  he  wonld  not 
be  born  into  the  tliick-darkness  of  ignorance,  as  every 
man  now  is ;  but  into  some  light  of  science,  and  thence 
of  intelligence,  into  which  he  would  also  shortly  come; 
and  indeed  he  would  at  first  creep  like  quadrupeds, 
but  with  the  implanted  endeavor  of  erecting  himself 
upon  his  feet;  for  although  a  quadruped,  still  he 
would  not  turn  his  face  downwards  to  the  earth,  but 
forwards  to  heaven;  and  would  raise  himself  erect, 
that  he  might  also  turn  it  upwards. 

276.  But  when  the  love  of  the  neighbor  was  turned 
into  the  love  of  self,  and  this  love  increased,  then  hu- 
man love  was  turned  into  animal  love,  and  man  from 
man  became  a  beast,  with  the  difference  that  he  could 
think  that  which  he  feels  with  the  body,  and  discern 
rationally  the  one  from  the  other;  and  that  he  could 
be  instructed,  and  become  a  civil  and  moral,  and  at 
length  a  spiritual  man ;  for,  as  was  said,  man  has  a 
spiritual,  by  which  he  is  distinguished  from  a  brute 
animal;  for  by  it  he  can  know  what  civil  evil  and 
good  is,  also  what  moral  evil  and  good  is,  and  also,  if 
he  will,  what  spiritual  evil  and  good  is.  When  the 
love  of  the  neighbor  was  turned  into  the  love  of  self, 
man  could  no  longer  be  born  into  the  light  of  science  and 
intelligence,  but  into  the  thick-darkness  of  ignorance, 
because  into  the  absolute  ultimate  of  life,  which  is 
called  the  corporeal  sensual,  and  from  it  be  introduced 
by  instructions  into  the  interiors  of  the  natural  mind, 
the  spiritual  always  accompanying.  The  reason  that 
he  is  born  into  the  ultimate  of  life,  which  is  called  the 
corporeal  sensual,  and  therefore  into  the  thick-dark- 
ness of  ignorance,  will  be  seen  in  the  following  pages. 
24* 


282  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

That  the  love  of  the  neighbor  and  the  love  of  self  are 
opposite  loves,  any  one  can  see  ;  for  the  love  of  the 
neighbor  wishes  well  to  all  from  itself,  bnt  the  love  of 
self  wishes  well  to  itself  alone  from  all:  the  love  of 
the  neighbor  wishes  to  serve  all,  and  the  love  of  self 
wishes  that  all  should  serve  itself:  the  love  of  the 
neighbor  regards  all  as  its  brethren  and  friends,  but 
the  love  of  self  regards  all  as  its  servants  ;  and  as  its 
enemies,  if  they  do  not  serve  :  in  a  word,  it  regards 
itself  alone,  and  others  scarcely  as  men,  whom  in  heart 
it  esteems  less  than  its  horses  and  dogs  ;  and  because 
it  regards  them  as  so  worthless,  it  also  makes  nothing 
of  doing  evil  to  them  ;  hence  are  hatreds  and  revenges, 
adulteries  and  whoredoms,  thefts  and  frauds,  lies  and 
defamations,  severities  and  cruelties,  and  other  like 
things.  These  are  the  evils  in  which  man  is  from 
birth.  That  they  are  permitted  for  the  sake  of  the 
end,  which  is  salvation,  is  to  be  demonstrated  in  this 
order.  1.  That  every  man  is  in  evil,  and  that  lie 
must  be  withdrawn  from  evil,  that  he  may  be  reformed. 

2.  That  evils  cannot  be  removed,  unless  they  appear. 

3.  That  as  far  as  evils  are  removed,  so  far  they  are 
remitted.  4.  That  thus  there  is  the  permission  of  evil 
for  the  sake  of  the  end,  that  there  maybe  salvation. 

277.  1.  Tliat  every  man  is  m  evil,  and  that  he 
must  be  vnthdraivfi  from  evil,  that  he  may  be  reformed. 
That  every  man  has  hereditary  evil,  and  that  from  it 
man  is  in  the  concupiscence  of  very  many  evils,  is 
known  in  the  church  ;  and  hence  it  is  that  man  of 
himself  cannot  do  good  ;  for  evil  does  not  do  good, 
except  such  as  has  evil  within  it :  the  evil  which  is 
within  is,  that  he  does  good  for  the  sake  of  himself, 
and  thus  that  it  may  only  appear.  That  that  evil  is 
hereditary  from  parents,  is  known  :  it  is  said,  that  it  is 
from  Adam  and  his  wife,  but  this  is  an  error  ;  for  every 
one  is  born  into  it  from  his  parent,  and  the  latter  into 
it  from  his,  and  this  also  from  his,  and  so  it  is  succes- 
sively transferred  from  one  to  another,  is  thus  increased 
and  grows  as  into  a  heap,  and  is  introduced  into  off- 
spring :  hence  it  is,  that  nothing  is  untainted  with  man, 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  283 

but  that  he  is  wholly  and  thoroughly  evil :  who  feels 
that  to  love  himself  above  others  is  evil?  who  hence 
knows  that  it  is  evil?  when  yet  it  is  the  head  of  evils. 
That  there  is  a  hereditary  from  parents,  grandparents 
and  great-grandparents,  is  manifest  from  many  things 
known  in  the  world  ;  as  from  the  distinguishment  of 
houses,  families,  yea,  nations,  by  the  faces  alone  ;  and 
faces  are  the  types  of  minds  [anhnus]^  and  minds 
[aninms]  are  according  to  the  affections  which  are  of 
the  love  :  sometimes  too  the  face  of  a  great-grandfather 
returns  in  a  grandson  or  great-grandson  :  1  know  from 
the  face  alone  whether  one  is  a  Jew  or  not;  and  also 
some,  from  what  stock  they  are :  moreover,  others,  I 
doubt  not,  know  in  like  manner.  If  the  affections 
which  are  of  the  love  are  thus  derived  and  handed 
down  from  parents,  it  follows  that  evils  are  also,  be- 
cause these  are  of  the  affections.  Bnt  whence  this 
similarity  is,  shall  now  be  told  :  the  soul  of  every  one 
is  from  the  father,  and  is  only  clothed  with  a  body 
from  the  mother  :  that  the  soul  is  from  the  father,  fol- 
lows not  only  from  those  things  which  are  mentioned 
just  above,  but  also  from  many  other  proofs :  also 
from  this,  that  an  infant  is  born  black  from  a  black 
or  a  Moor  by  a  white  or  European  woman,  and  the 
reverse  ;  especially,  because  the  soul  is  in  the  seed, 
for  from  it  impregnation  takes  place,  and  it  is  that 
which  is  clothed  with  a  body  from  the  mother:  the 
seed  is  the  first  form  of  the  love  in  which  the  father 
is;  it  is  the  form  of  his  reigning  love  with  the  near- 
est derivations,  which  are  the  affections  of  that  inmost 
love.  These  are  veiled  over  with  every  one  by  the 
respectable  tilings  which  are  of  moral  life,  and  by  the 
goods  which  are  partly  of  civil  life  and  partly  of 
spiritual  life :  these  make  the  external  of  life,  even 
with  the  evil :  into  this  internal  of  life  every  infant  is 
born  ;  thence  it  is  that  he  is  lovely ;  but  as  he  becomes 
a  boy  or  grows  up,  he  comes  from  that  external  to  the 
interiors,  and  at  length  to  the  reigning  love  of  his 
father  ;  which,  if  it  was  evil,  and  was  not  tempered 
and  bent  by  means  from  his  educators,  becomes  his 


284  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

love,  as  it  was  bis  father's.  But  still  the  evil  is  not 
extirpated,  but  only  removed  ;  which  is  treated  of  in 
the  following  pages.  From  these  things  it  may  be 
evident,  that  every  man  is  in  evil. 

277.  That  man  must  be  withdrawn  from  evil  that 
he  may  be  reformed,  is  manifest  without  explanation  : 
for  he  who  is  in  evil  in  the  world,  is  in  evil  after  de- 
parture out  of  the  world ;  wherefore  if  evil  is  not 
removed  in  the  world,  it  cannot  be  removed  after- 
wards ;  where  the  tree  falls,  there  it  lies  ;  so  also,  as 
the  life  of  man  was  when  he  died,  such  it  remains : 
every  one  is  also  judged  according  to  his  deeds ;  not 
that  they  are  enumerated,  but  becanse  he  returns  into 
them,  and  acts  iti  like  manner  ;  for  death  is  a  contin- 
uation of  life,  with  the  difference,  that  man  cannot 
then  be  reformed.  All  reformation  takes  place  in  ful- 
ness, that  is,  in  first  things  and  at  the  same  time  in 
ultimates;  and  the  ultimates  are  reformed  in  the 
world  conformably  to  the  first  things,  and  cannot  be 
afterwards  ;  because  the  ultimates  of  life,  which  man 
carries  with  him  after  death,  become  quiescent,  and 
conspire,  that  is,  act  as  one,  with  his  interiors. 

278.  II.  That  evils  cannot  be  removed,  vnless  they 
ajypear.  It  is  not  understood  that  man  is  to  do  evils 
for  the  end  that  they  may  appear,  hut  that  he  is  to 
explore  himself,  not  only  his  deeds,  but  also  his 
thoughts,  and  what  he  would  do,  if  he  did  not  fear 
laws  and  disgrace;  especially  what  evils  he  makes 
allowable  in  his  spirit,  and  does  not  regard  as  sins; 
for  these  he  still  does.  Therefore,  that  man  may 
explore  himself,  there  is  given  to  him  an  nnderstand- 
ing,  and  that  separate  from  the  will,  to  the  end  that 
he  may  know,  understand  and  acknowledge  what  is 
good  and  what  is  evil  ;  and  also  that  he  may  see  of 
what  quality  his  will  is,  or  what  he  loves  and  what  he 
desires  :  that  man  may  see  this,  to  his  understanding 
is  given  superior  and  inferior,  or  interior  and  exterior 
thought,  that  from  the  superior  or  interior  thought  he 
may  see  what  the  will  acts  in  the  inferior  or  exterior 
thought  :  this  he  sees,  as  a  man  does  his  face  in  a 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE,  285 

mirror ;  and  when  he  sees  this,  and  knows  what  sin  is, 
he  can,  if  he  implores  tiie  help  of  the  Lord,  not  will  it, 
shun  it,  and  afterwards  act  against  it ;  if  not  freely, 
still  he  can  compel  it  by  combat,  and  at  length  loathe 
and  abominate  it;  and  he  then  first  perceives  and  also 
feels,  that  evil  is  evil,  and  that  good  is  good,  and  not 
before.  This  then  is  to  explore  himself,  to  see  his 
evils,  and  acknowledge  them,  confess  them,  and  after- 
wards desist  from  them.  But  because  tliere  are  few 
who  know  that  this  is  the  christian  religion  itself, 
because  they  alone  have  charity  and  faith,  and  they 
alone  are  led  of  the  Lord,  and  do  good  from  Him, 
something  shall  be  said  concerning  those  who  do 
not  do  this,  and  still  suppose  that  religion  is  with 
themselves;  they  are  these.  1.  Those  who  confess 
that  they  are  guilty  of  all  sins,  and  do  not  search 
out  any  one  with  themselves.  2.  Those  who  from 
religion  omit  to  search.  3.  Those  who,  on  account 
of  worldly  things,  think  nothing  concerning  sins,  and 
hence  do  not  know  them.  4.  Those  who  favor  them, 
and  therefore  cannot  know  them.  5.  That  sins  with 
all  these  do  not  appear,  and  that  therefore  they  cannot 
be  removed.  6.  Lastly,  the  cause,  hitherto  unknown, 
shall  be  made  manifest,  why  evils  cannot  be  removed, 
without  the  exploration,  appearance,  acknowledg- 
ment, confession,  and  resistance  of  them. 

278.  But  these  points  are  to  be  examined  singly, 
because  they  are  the  primaries  of  the  christian  religion 
on  the  part  of  man.  First  :  Concerni7ig  those  icho 
confess  that  they  are  ginlty  of  all  sins,  and  do  not 
search  out  any  one  in  themselves,  saying,  I  am  a 
sinner  ;  I  was  born  in  sins;  nothing  in  me  is  untaint- 
ed from  head  to  foot :  I  am  nothing  but  evil ;  good 
God,  be  propitious  to  me;  pardon  me;  purify  me; 
save  me  ;  make  me  to  walk  in  purity,  and  in  the  way 
of  the  just;  and  more  like  things;  and  still  he  does 
not  explore  himself,  and  hence  does  not  know  any 
evil;  and  no  one  can  shun  that  w})ich  he  does  not 
know,  still  less  fight  against  it :  and  he  also  believes 
that  after  confessions  he  is  clean  and  washed,  when 


286  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

yet  he  is  unclean  and  unwashed  from  the  head  to 
the  sole  of  the  foot ;  for  the  confession  of  all  is  the 
hilling;  to  sleep,  and  at  length  the  blinding,  of  all ;  and 
it  is  like  a  universal  without  any  particular,  which  is 
not  anything.  Secondly:  Concerning  tltose  who  from 
religion  omit  to  search:  they  are  especially  those  who 
separate  charity  from  faith  ;  for  they  say  witli  them- 
selves, Why  should  I  search  whether  there  is  evil  or 
good '?  why  evil,  when  that  does  not  condemn  me  7 
why  good,  when  that  does  not  save  me  7  it  is  faith 
alone,  thought  and  declared  with  trust  and  confidence, 
that  justifies  and  purifies  from  all  sin  ;  and  when  I  am 
once  justified,  I  am  unblemished  before  God;  I  am 
indeed  in  evil,  but  this  God  wipes  away  as  soon  as  it 
is  done,  and  thus  it  no  longer  appears ;  besides  other 
like  things.  But  who  does  not  see,  if  he  opens  his 
eyes,  that  such  things  are  vain  words,  in  which  there 
is  nothing  of  reality,  because  nothing  of  good  7  who 
cannot  think  and  speak  thus,  even  with  trust  and  con- 
fidence, when  he  thinks  at  the  same  time  concerning 
hell  and  eternal  damnation  7  does  such  an  one  wish  to 
know  anything  further,  whether  it  is  true  or  good 7 
concerning  the  truth  he  says.  What  is  truth,  but  what 
confirms  that  faith  7  concerning  good  he  says,  What 
is  good,  but  that  which  is  in  me  from  that  faith  7  but 
that  it  may  be  in  me,  I  will  not  do  it  as  of  myself, 
since  that  is  meritorious,  and  meritorious  good  is  not 
good  :  thus  he  omits  all  things,  until  he  does  not  know 
what  evil  is  ;  what  then  will  he  explore  and  see  with 
himself7  does  not  then  his  state  become  such,  that  the 
fire  of  the  concujiiscences  of  evil,  being  shut  in,  con- 
sumes the  interiors  of  his  mind,  and  lays  them  waste 
even  to  the  gate  7  this  alone  he  guards,  lest  the  con- 
flagration should  appear;  but  it  is  opened  after  death, 
and  then  it  appears  before  all.  Thirdly  :  Concerning 
those  who  on  account  of  worldly  things  do  not  think 
concerning  sins,  and  hence  do  not  knoin  them :  they 
are  those  who  love  the  world  above  all  things,  and  do 
not  admit  any  truth  which  withdraws  from  any 
falsity  of  their  religion,  saying  with  themselves,  What 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  287 

is  this  to  me  7  it  is  not  for  me  to  think  of:  thus  they 
reject  it  as  soon  as  they  hear  it ;  and  if  they  hear,  they 
suffocate  it.  The  same  do  nearly  the  Hke,  when  they 
hear  preachings;  they  retain  nothing  more  of  tiiem 
than  a  few  words,  and  not  any  thing.  Because  they 
do  thus  with  truths,  therefore  they  do  not  know  what 
good  is,  for  they  act  as  one  ;  and  from  good  which  is 
not  from  truth,  evil  is  not  known,  unless  that  it  may 
also  be  called  good,  which  is  done  by  reasonings  from 
falsities.  These  are  they  who  are  understood  by  the 
seed  which  fell  among  thorns,  concerning  which  the 
Lord  says  thus:  "Other  seed  fell  among  thorns;  and 
the  thorns  came  up  and  choked  it.  These  are  they 
who  hear  the  Word,  but  the  care  of  this  age  and  the 
deceitfulness  of  riches  choke  the  Word,  that  it  becom- 
eth  unfruitful:"  Matt.  xiii.  7,22;  Mark  iv.  7,  14; 
Luke  viii.  7,  14.  Fourthly:  Concerning  those  who 
favor  sins^  and  therefore  cannot  know  them  :  these  are 
they  who  acknowledge  God,  and  worship  him  accord- 
ing to  the  customary  rites;  and  confirm  with  them- 
selves that  any  evil,  which  is  a  sin,  is  not  sin  ;  for 
they  daub  it  over  with  fallacies  and  appearances,  and 
thus  hide  its  enormity;  when  they  have  done  which, 
they  favor  it,  and  render  it  friendly  and  familiar  to 
themselves.  It  is  said  that  those  do  this,  who  ac- 
knowledge God,  because  others  do  not  reckon  any 
evil  as  sin  ;  for  all  sin  is  against  GJod.  But  let  exam- 
ples illustrate  :  he  that  is  greedy  of  gain  does  not 
make  evil  sin,  who,  from  reasons  which  he  devises, 
renders  some  species  of  fraud  allowable  :  the  like  does 
he,  who  confirms  with  himself  revenge  against  ene- 
mies; and  he  who  confirms  the  pillage  of  those  who  are 
not  enemies  in  wars.  Fifthly  :  That  sins  do  not 
appear  with  those,  and  that  therefore  they  cannot  he 
removed:  all  evil  which  does  not  appear,  kindles  itself, 
and  is  like  fire  in  wood  under  ashes ;  it  is  also  like  cor- 
ruption in  a  wound  which  is  not  opened  ;  for  all  evil 
obstructed  increases,  and  does  not  desist  before  the 
whole  is  consummated ;  wherefore,  lest  an)''  evil 
should    be  obstructed,  it  is  permitted    every  one    to 


288  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

think  for  God  and  against  God,  and  for  the  holy 
things  of  the  church  and  against  them,  and  not  to  be 
punished  in  the  world  therefor.  Concerning  this  the 
Lord  thus  speaks  in  Isaiah:  "  From  the  sole  of  the 
foot  even  to  the  head  there  is  no  soundness,  but  a 
wound  and  scar,  and  a  fresh  bruise  ;  they  have  not 
been  pressed,  nor  bound  up,  nor  molhfied  with  oil. 
Wash  you,  purify  yourselves,  remove  the  wickedness 
of  your  works  from  before  my  eyes ;  cease  to  do  evil ; 
learn  to  do  good :  then  if  your  sins  were  as  scarlet, 
they  shall  become  white  as  snow  ;  if  they  were  red  as 
crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool.  If  ye  refuse  and  rebel, 
ye  shall  be  devoured  by  the  sword :"  i.  6,  16,  18,  10  : 
to  be  devoured  by  the  sword  signifies  to  perish  by  the 
falsity  of  evil.  Sixthly:  The  ccmse^  hitherto  hidden, 
why  evils  cannot  be  removed  without  the  exploration, 
appearance,  acknowledgment,  confession,  and  resist- 
ance of  them.  In  the  preceding  pages  it  has  been 
stated  that  the  universal  heaven  is  arranged  into  soci- 
eties according  to  [the  affections  of  good,  and  the 
universal  hell  into  societies  according  to]  the  concu- 
piscences of  evil  opposite  to  the  atl'ections  of  good: 
every  man  as  to  his  spirit  is  in  some  society  ;  in  a 
heavenly  society  if  in  the  affection  of  good,  but  in  an 
infernal  society  if  in  the  concupiscence  of  evil  :  man 
does  not  know  this  when  he  lives  in  the  world,  but 
still  he  is  in  some  one  as  to  his  spirit ;  without  this  he 
could  not  live,  and  by  it  he  is  governed  by  the  Lord : 
if  he  is  in  an  infernal  society,  he  cannot  be  led  out 
thence  by  the  Lord,  except  according  to  the  laws  of 
His  Divine  Providence;  among  which  there  also  is, 
that  man  should  see  that  he  is  there,  and  that  he 
should  wish  to  get  out,  also  that  he  should  endeavor 
for  it  of  himself:  this  man  can  do  when  he  is  in  the 
world,  but  not  after  death;  for  he  then  remains  to 
eternity  in  the  society  in  which  he  inserted  himself  in 
the  world :  this  is  the  reason  that  man  is  to  explore 
himself,  see  and  acknowledge  his  sins,  and  repent, 
and  then  persevere  even  to  the  end  of  life.  That  it  is 
so,  I  might  confirm  even  to  full  belief  by  much  expe- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  289 

rience;  but  to  adduce  proofs  of  experience  does  not 
belong  to  this  place. 

279.  III.  That  as  far  as  evils  are  removed^  so  far  they 
are  remitted.  It  is  an  error  of  the  age,  that  it  is  believed 
that  evils  are  separated  from  man,  yea,  cast  out,  when 
they  are  remitted  ;  and  that  the  state  of  man's  life  can 
be  changed  in  a  moment,  even  into  the  opposite,  and  so 
man  from  evil  be  made  good,  consequently  be  led  out 
of  hell  and  transferred  instantly  into  heaven,  and  this 
from  the  immediate  mercy  of  the  Lord  :  but  they  who 
believe  and  think  thus,  know  just  nothing  as  to  what 
evil  is  and  what  good,  and  just  nothing  concerning 
the  state  of  man's  life  ;  and  not  at  all,  that  the  affec- 
tions, which  are  of  the  will,  are  mere  changes  and 
variations  of  the  state  of  the  purely  organic  substances 
of  the  mind  ;  and  that  the  thoughts,  which  are  of  the 
understanding,  are  mere  changes  and  variations  of 
their  form;  and  that  the  memory  is  the  permanent 
state  of  those  changes.  From  the  former  and  the 
latter  knowledges  it  may  be  clearly  seen,  that  any 
evil  cannot  be  removed,  except  successively;  and 
that  the  remission  of  evil  is  not  the  removal  of  it. 
But  these  things  are  said  in  a  summary,  which,  un- 
less they  are  demonstrated,  may  indeed  be  acknow- 
ledged, but  still  not  comprehended  ;  and  what  is  not 
comprehended,  is  like  a  wheel  which  is  turned  round 
by  the  hand  ;  wherefore  the  abovementioned  things 
are  to  be  demonstrated  one  by  one  in  the  order  in 
which  they  are  adduced.  First  :  That  it  is  an  error 
of  the  age,  that  it  is  believed  that  evils  are  separated, 
yea,  cast  out,  when  they  are  remitted.  That  all  the 
evil,  into  which  man  is  born,  and  which  he  imbibes 
actually,  is  not  separated  from  man,  but  removed, 
until  it  does  not  appear,  has  been  given  me  to  "know 
from  heaven :  I  was  formerly  in  the  belief,  in  which 
most  in  the  world  are,  that  evils,  when  they  are  remit- 
ted, are  rejected,  and  washed  and  wiped  off,  like  dirt 
from  the  face  by  water  :  but  it  is  not  the  like  with 
evils  or  sins;  they  all  remain,  and  when  they  are 
remitted  after  repentance,  they  are  moved  forth 
25 


290  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNlNGf 

from  the  middle  to  the  sides ;  and  then  what  is  in  the 
middle,  because  directly  under  the  view,  appears  as 
if  in   the  light  of  day;  and  what  is  at  the  sides,  in 
the  shade,  and  sometimes  as  in  the  darkness  of  night: 
and  because  evils  are  not  separated,  but  only  removed, 
that  is,  sent  away  to  the  sides,  and  man  can  be  trans- 
ferred  from  the  middle  round  about,  it  can  also  take 
place,   that   he  can   return  into  his  evils,   which  he 
believed  to  be  rejected :  for  man  is  such,  that  he  may 
come  from  one  affection  into  another,  and  sometimes 
into  the  opposite,  and  thus  from  one  middle  into  anoth- 
er :  the  alfection  of  man  makes  the  middle  while  he  is 
in  it;  for  he  is  then  in  the  delight  of  it,  and  in  the  light 
of  it.     There  are  some  men  after  death,  who  are  ele- 
\'ated  by  the  Lord  into  heaven,  because  they  have  lived 
well,  but  still  have  carried  with  them  the  belief  that 
they  were  clean  and  pure  from  sins,  and  that  therefore 
they  were  not  in  any  guilt :  these  are  at  first  clothed 
in  white  garments  according  to  their  belief,  for  white 
garments    signify   a   state    purified    from   evils;    but 
afterwards  they  begin  to  think  as  in  the  world,  that 
they  are  as  washed  from  all  evil,  and  hence  to  boast 
that  they  are  no  longer  sinners   like   others;  which 
thing  can  with  difficulty  be  separated  from  a  certain 
elation  of  mind  [anwms],  and  from  some  contempt 
of  others  in  comparison  with  themselves  ;  therefore, 
that  they  may  be  removed  from  their  imaginary  be- 
lief, they  are  then  taken  out  of  heaven,  and  sent  back 
into  their  evils,  which  they  have  contracted  in  the 
world  ;  and  at  the  same  time  it  is  shown  them,  that 
they  are  also  in  hereditary  evils,  concerning  which 
they  have  before  known  nothing  :  and  after  they  have 
thus  been  compelled  to  acknowledge  that  their  evils  are 
not  separated  from  them,  but  only  removed,  and  that 
thus  they  are  impure  of  themselves,  yea,  nothing  but 
evil,  and  that  they  are  kept  back  from  evils  and  kept 
in  goods  by  the  Lord,  and  that  this  appears  to  them  as 
from  themselves,  they  are  again  elevated  by  the  Lord 
into  heaven,     Secondly  :    That  it  is  an  error  of  the 
age,  that  it  is  believed,  that  the  state  of  man^s  life  can 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  291 

he  changed  in  a  '}nome7it,  and  thus  man  from  evil  be 
tnade  good,  consequently  be  led  out  of  hell,  and  in- 
stantly transferred  into  heaven,  a7id  this  from  the  im- 
mediate mercy  of  the  Loi-d :  in  this  error  are  those 
who  separate  charity  from  faith,  and  place  salvation 
in  faith  alone  ;  for  they  suppose  that  the  mere  thought 
and  utterance  of  the  words  which  are  of  that  laith,  if 
it  is  done  with  trust  and  confidence,  justifies  and 
saves ;  which  is  also  laid  down  by  many  as  instan- 
taneous, and  if  not  before,  near  the  last  hour  of  man's 
life  :  these  cannot  believe  otherwise  than  that  the 
state  of  man's  life  can  be  changed  in  a  moment,  and 
man  be  saved  by  immediate  mercy;  but  that  the 
mercy  of  the  Lord  is  not  immediate,  and  that  man 
cannot  from  evil  become  good  in  a  moment,  and  be 
led.  out  of  hell  and  transferred  into  heaven,  except  by 
the  continual  operations  of  the  Divine  Providence 
from  infancy  even  to  tbe  last  of  man's  life,  will  be 
seen  in  the  last  chapter  of  this  treatise;  here  only 
from  this,  that  all  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Providence 
have  for  end  the  reformation  and  so  the  salvation  of 
man ;  thus  the  inversion  of  his  state,  which  from 
nativity  is  infernal,  into  the  opposite,  which  is 
heavenly;  which  cannot  be  done  except  progressively, 
as  man  recedes  from  evil  and  its  delight,  and  enters 
into  good  and  its  delight.  Thirdly  :  That  they  icho 
believe  thus,  knoro  nothing  at  all  as  to  ivhat  evil  is 
und  what  good :  for  they  do  not  know  that  evil  is  the 
delight  of  the  concupiscence  of  acting  and  thinking 
contrary  to  divine  order,  and  that  good  is  the  delight 
of  the  afl^ection  of  acting  and  thinking  according  to 
divine  order  ;  and  that  there  are  myriads  of  concupis- 
cences, which  enter  into  and  compose  every  evil,  and 
that  there  are  myriads  of  affections,  which  do  the 
same  to  every  good;  and  that  these  myriads  are  in 
such  order  and  connection  in  the  interiors  of  man, 
that  one  cannot  be  changed,  unless  at  tbe  same  time 
all.  They  who  do  not  know  this,  may  believe  or  be 
of  opinion,  that  evil,  which  appears  before  them  as 
one  thing,   can   easily  be  removed;   and  that  good, 


292  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

which  also  appears  as  one  thing,  can  be  introduced 
in  its  place.  These,  because  they  do  not  know  what 
evil  is  and  what  good,  cannot  do  otherwise  than  be 
of  opinion,  that  there  is  given  instantaneous  salvation 
and  immediate  mercy ;  but  that  they  are  not  possi- 
ble, will  be  seen  in  the  last  chapter  of  this  treatise. 
Fourthly  :  That  they  who  believe  in  instantaneous 
salvation  and  iniinedlate  mercy,  do  not  know  that  the 
affections,  which  are  of  the  nnll,  are  mere  changes  of 
the  state  of  the  jturely  organic  substances  of  the  tnind; 
and  that  the  thoughts,  which  are  of  the  understanding, 
are  mere  changes  and  variations  of  their  form ;  and 
that  the  meinory  is  the  perinanent  state  of  those  changes 
and  variations.  Who  does  not  acknowledge,  when  it 
is  said,  that  affections  and  thoughts  are  not  given 
except  in  substances  and  their  forms,  which  are  sub- 
jects ;  and  because  they  arc  given  in  the  brains, 
which  is  full  of  substances  and  forms,  they  are  called 
purely  organic  forms  :  any  one,  who  thinks  rationally, 
cannot  bat  laugh  at  the  fantasies  of  some,  that  affec- 
tions and  thoughts  are  not  in  substantiate  subjects, 
but  that  they  are  exhalations  modified  by  heat  and. 
light,  like  apparent  images  in  the  air  and  ether;  when 
yet  thought  can  no  more  be  given  separate  from  a 
substantial  form,  than  sight  separate  from  its  form, 
which  is  the  eye,  hearing  from  its,  which  is  the  ear, 
and  taste  from  its,  which  is  the  tongue :  look  at  the 
brain,  and  you  will  see  innumerable  substances,  and 
likewise  fibres,  and  that  nothing  not  organized  is 
there :  what  need  is  there  of  other  confirmation  than 
this  ocular  one?  But  it  is  asked,  What  there  is  affec- 
tion, and  what  there  is  thought?  this  may  be  con- 
cluded from  all  and  each  of  the  things  which  are  in 
the  body  :  there  are  thei'e  many  viscera,  each  fixed  in 
its  place,  and  they  operate  their  functions  by  changes 
and  variations  of  state  and  form :  tiiat  they  are  in 
their  operations,  is  known ;  the  stomach  in  its,  the 
intestines  in  theirs,  the  kidneys  in  theirs,  the  liver, 
pancreas  and  spleen  in  theirs,  and  the  heart  and  lungs 
in  theirs  ;  and  all  these  workings  are  moved  only  from 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  293 

within,  and  to  be  moved  from  within  is  by  changes 
and  variations  of  state  and  form.  Hence  it  may  be 
evident,  that  the  operations  of  the  purely  organic 
substances  of  the  mind  are  nothing  else ;  with  tlie 
difference,  that  the  operations  of  the  organic  substances 
of  the  body  are  natural,  but  those  of  the  mind  spirit- 
ual ;  and  that  the  latter  and  the  former  make  one  by 
correspondences.  It  cannot  be  shown  to  the  eye, 
what  are  the  changes  and  variations  of  state  and  forni 
of  the  organic  substances  of  the  mind,  which  are 
affections  and  thoughts ;  but  still  they  can  be  seen  as 
in  a  mirror  from  the  changes  and  variations  of  state 
of  the  lungs  in  speech  and  singing ;  there  is  also  a 
correspondence,  for  the  sound  of  speech  and  of  sing- 
ing, and  also  the  articulations  of  sound,  which  are  the 
words  of  speech  and  the  modulations  of  singing,  are 
made  by  the  lungs ;  and  sound  corresponds  to  affec- 
tion, and  speech  to  thought :  they  are  also  produced 
from  these,  and  this  is  done  by  changes  and  variations 
of  the  state  and  form  of  the  organic  substances  in  the 
lungs;  and  from  the  lungs,  through  the  trachea  or 
rough  passage,  in  the  larynx  and  glottis ;  and  after- 
wards in  the  tongue;  and  at  length  in  the  lips  of  the 
mouth :  the  first  changes  and  variations  of  the  state 
and  form  of  sound  are  made  in  the  lungs  ;  the  second 
in  the  trachea  and  larynx  ;  the  third  in  the  glottis 
through  the  various  openings  of  its  orifice;  the  fourth 
in  the  tongue  by  its  various  applications  to  the  palate 
and  teeth ;  the  fifth  in  the  lips  of  the  mouth  by  vari- 
ous forms :  from  these  things  it  may  be  evident  that 
mere  changes  and  variations  of  the"  state  of  the  organic 
forms,  continued  successively,  produce  sounds  and  the 
articulations  of  them,  which  are  speech  and  singing. 
Now  because  sound  and  speech  are  produced  from  no 
other  source  but  from  the  affections  and  thoughts  of 
the  mind,  for  from  these  they  exist,  and  never  without 
them,  it  is  manifest  that  the  aflections  of  the  will  are 
changes  and  variations  of  the  state  of  the  purely 
organic  substances  of  the  mind,  and  that  the  thoughts 
of  the  understanding  are  changes  and  variations  of 
25^ 


294  ANGELIC    AVISDOM    CONCERNING 

the  form  of  those  substances ;  in  hke  manner  as  in  the 
things  of  the  hmgs.  Since  affections  and  thoughts 
are  mere  changes  of  the  state  of  the  forms  of  the 
mind,  it  follows  that  the  memory  is  nothing  else  but 
their  permanent  state  ;  for  all  changes  and  variations 
of  state  in  organic  substances  are  such,  that,  being 
once  accustomed,  they  are  permanent :  thus  the  lungs 
are  accustomed  to  produce  various  sounds  in  the  tra- 
chea, and  to  vary  them  in  the  glottis,  to  articulate 
them  with  the  tongue,  and  to  modify  them  in  the 
mouth ;  and  when  these  organic  things  are  once 
accustomed,  they  are  in  them,  and  can  be  reproduced. 
That  these  changes  and  variations  are  infinitely  more 
perfect  in  the  organic  things  of  the  mind  than  in  the 
organic  things  of  the  body,  is  evident  from  the  things 
that  are  said  in  the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine 
Love  and  Divine  Wisdobi,  n.  119  to  204,  where  it  is 
shown  that  all  perfections  increase  and  ascend  with 
degrees  and  according  to  them :  concerning  these 
things  more  may  be  seen  below,  n.  319. 

280.  That  sins,  when  they  are  remitted,  are  also 
removed,  is  also  an  error  of  the  age :  in  this  error  are 
those  who  believe  that  sins  are  remitted  to  them 
through  the  sacrament  of  the  Supper,  although  they 
have  not  removed  them  from  themselves  by  repent- 
ance :  in  it  also  are  those  who  believe  they  are  saved 
by  faith  alone;  as  also,  by  papal  dispensations  :  they 
all  believe  in  immediate  mercy  and  instantaneous 
salvation.  But  when  this  is  inverted,  it  becomes  a 
truth;  namely,  that  when  sins  are  removed,  they  are 
also  remitted ;  for  repentance  precedes  remission,  and 
without  repentance  there  is  no  remission;  wherefore  the 
Lord  commanded  the  disciples,  that  they  should  preach 
repentance  for  the  remission  of  sins.  Luke  xxiv.  27  : 
and  John  preached  the  baptism  of  repentance  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  Luke  iii.  3.  The  Lord  remits  their 
sins  to  all ;  he  does  not  accuse  and  impute ;  but  still 
he  cannot  take  them  away,  except  according  to  the 
laws  of  His  Divine  Providence ;  for  since  He  said  to 
Peter,    (who   asked   how  often  he  should   forgive  a 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  295 

brother  sinning  against  him,  whether  seven  times,) 
that  he  should  forgive  not  only  seven  times,  but  even 
to  seventy  times  seven,  Matt,  xviii.  21,  22,  what  will 
not  the  Lord  do,  who  is  mercy  itself  7 

281.  lY.  That  thus  titer e  is  permission  of  evil 
'for  the  sake  of  the  end  that  there  may  he  salvation.  It 
is  known,  that  man  is  in  the  full  liberty  of  thinking 
and  willing,  but  not  in  the  full  liberty  of  speaking 
and  doing  whatever  he  thinks  and  wills;  for  he  can 
think  as  an  atheist,  deny  God,  and  blaspheme  the 
holy  things  of  the  church  ;  yea,  he  can  will  to  destroy 
them  by  speech  and  deed,  even  to  their  utter  destruc- 
tion ;  but  this  the  civil,  moral  and  ecclesiastical  laws 
restrain ;  wherefore  he  cherishes  those  impious  and 
wicked  things  within,  by  thinking  and  willing,  and 
also  intending,  but  still  not  doing.  The  man.  who  is 
not  an  atheist,  is  also  in  the  full  liberty  of  thinking 
very  many  things  which  are  of  evil,  as  fraudulent, 
lascivious,  revengeful,  and  other  insane  things;  which 
he  also  does  by  turns.  Who  can  believe,  that  unless 
man  had  full  liberty,  he  not  only  could  not  be  saved, 
but  would  also  totally  perish  7  Let  the  reason  now  be 
heard  :  every  man  is  in  evils  of  many  kinds  from 
birth  :  these  evils  are  in  his  will,  and  the  things  which 
are  in  his  will  are  loved  ;  for  that  which  a  man  wills 
from  the  interior,  he  loves ;  and  what  he  loves,  he 
wills ;  and  the  love  of  the  will  flows  into  the  under- 
standing, and  there  causes  its  delight  to  be  felt;  thence 
it  comes  into  the  thoughts,  and  also  into  ihe  inten- 
tions ;  wherefore,  unless  it  were  permitted  man  to 
think  according  to  the  love  of  his  will,  which  is  im- 
planted in  him  from  inheritance,  that  love  would 
remain  shut  up,  and  never  come  into  man's  sight ;  and 
the  love  of  evil  not  apparent,  is  like  an  enemy  in 
ambush,  like  corruption  in  a  sore,  like  poison  in  the 
blood,  and  like  rottenness  in  the  chest ;  which,  if  they 
are  kept  shut  in,  induce  death.  But  yet,  when  it  is 
permitted  man  to  think  the  evils  of  his  life's  love  even 
to  intention,  they  are  cured  by  spiritual  means,  as  dis- 
eases are  bv  natural  means.     What  man  would  be,  if 


296  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

it  were  not  allowable  for  him  to  think  according  to 
the  delights  of  his  life's  love,  shall  now  be  told  :  he 
would  no  longer  be  man  ;  he  would  lose  his  two  fac- 
ulties, which  are  called  liberty  and  rationality,  in 
which  humanity  itself  consists  :  the  delights  of  those 
evils  would  take  possession  of  the  interiors  of  his 
mind,  so  far  as  to  shut  the  gate,  and  then  he  could 
not  do  otherwise  than  speak  and  do  like  things ;  and 
thus  would  be  insane  not  only  before  himself,  but  also 
before  the  world ;  and  at  length  he  would  not  know 
how  to  conceal  the  private  parts  :  but  lest  he  should 
become  such,  it  is  indeed  permitted  him  to  think  and 
will  his  hereditary  evils,  but  not  to  speak  and  do 
them;  and  in  the  mean  time,  he  learns  civil,  moral 
and  spiritual  things,  which  also  enter  into  his  thoughts, 
and  remove  those  insanities,  and  through  which  he  is 
cured  by  the  Lord  ;  but  still  no  farther  than  that  he 
may  know  how  to  guard  the  door;  unless  he  also 
acknowledges  God,  and  implores  His  help,  that  he 
may  be  able  to  resist  them  :  and  as  far  as  he  then 
resists,  so  far  he  does  not  admit  them  into  the  inten- 
tions, and  at  length  neither  into  the  thoughts.  Since 
therefore  it  is  in  man's  liberty  to  think  as  he  pleases, 
for  the  sake  of  the  end  that  his  life's  love  may  go  forth 
from  its  lurking-places  into  the  light  of  his  under- 
standing, and  since  he  otherwise  would  not  know 
anything  concerning  his  evil,  and  thus  would  not  shun 
it,  it  follows  that  it  would  increase  with  him,  until 
there  would  not  be  left  room  for  renewal  with  him, 
and  hardly  with  his  children,  if  he  should  beget  any; 
for  the  evil  of  the  parent  is  handed  down  to  the  off- 
spring :  but  the  Lord  provides  that  this  should  not  be 
done. 

282.  The  Lord  might  have  cured  the  understanding 
with  every  man,  and  thus  have  caused  that  he  should 
not  think  evils  but  goods ;  and  this,  by  various  fears, 
by  miracles,  by  speaking  with  the  dead,  and  by  visions 
and  dreams ;  but  only  to  cure  the  understanding,  is  only 
to  cure  man  outwardly ;  for  the  understanding  with 
its  thought  is  the  external  of  man's  life,  and  the  will 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  297 

with  its  affection  is  the  internal  of  his  Hfe ;  wherefore 
the  curing  of  the  understanding  alone  would  be  like  a 
palliative  cure,  by  which  the  interior  malignity  is  shut 
in  and  prevented  from  coming  out :  it  would  consume 
first  the  neighboring,  and  afterwards  the  remoter  parts, 
until  all  would  be  mortified  :  it  is  the  will  itself  which 
is  to  be  cured,  not  by  the  influx  of  the  understanding 
into  it,  because  that  is  not  given  ;  but  by  instruction 
and  exhortation  from  the  understanding.  If  the 
understanding  only  is  cured,  man  would  become  like 
a  preserved  carcass,  spread  over  with  fragrant  spices 
and  roses,  which  shortly  imbibe  the  stench  from  the 
carcass,  so  that  they  cannot  be  presented  to  one's 
nose :  so  would  it  happen  with  heavenly  truths 
in  the  understanding,  if  evil  love  of  the  will  was 
obstructed. 

283.  That  it  is  permitted  man  to  think  evils  even 
to  the  intention  of  them,  is,  as  was  said,  that  they 
may  be  removed  by  civil,  moral  and  spiritual  things ; 
which  is  done,  when  he  thinks  that  it  is  contrary  to 
what  is  just  and  equitable,  contrary  to  what  is  honor- 
able and  decorous,  and  contrary  to  what  is  good  and 
true,  thus  contrary  to  what  is  tranquil,  glad  and 
happy  in  life;  by  these  three  things  the  Lord  cures 
the  love  of  man's  will ;  and  indeed  first  by  fears,  and 
afterwards  by  loves.  But  still  evils  are  not  separated 
and  cast  out  of  man,  but  only  removed  and  put  away 
to  the  sides  ;  and  when  they  are  there,  and  good  is  in 
the  middle,  then  the  evils  do  not  appear ;  for  what- 
ever is  in  the  middle,  is  directly  under  the  view,  and 
is  seen  and  perceived  :  but  it  is  to  be  known,  that 
although  good  is  in  the  middle,  still  man  is  not  there- 
fore in  good,  unless  the  evils,  which  are  at  the  sides, 
incline  downwards  or  outwards ;  if  they  look  up- 
wards or  inwards,  they  are  not  removed,  for  they  still 
struggle  to  return  to  the  middle  :  they  incline  and 
look  downwards  or  outwards,  when  man  shuns  his 
evils  as  sins,  and  more  still  when  he  loathes  them ; 
for  then  he  condemns  and  dooms  them  to  hell,  and 
makes  them  look  thither. 


298  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

284.  The  understanding  of  man  is  the  recipient  as 
well  of  good  as  of  evil,  and  as  well  of  truth  as  of  fal- 
sity ;  but  not  the  will  itself  of  man  :  this  will  be  either 
in  evil  or  in  good  ;  it  cannot  be  in  both  ;  for  the  will 
is  the  man  himself,  and  there  is  his  life's  love  :  but 
good  and  evil  in  the  understanding  are  separated  like 
internal  and  external ;  hence  man  can  be  interiorly  in 
evil  and  exteriorly  in  good  :  but  still,  when  man  is 
being  reformed,  good  and  evil  are  let  together,  and 
then  there  exists  conflict  and  combat ;  which,  if  it  is 
severe,  is  called  temptation  ;  but  if  it  is  not  severe,  it 
takes  place  as  wine  or  liquor  ferments :  if  good  then 
conquers,  evil  with  its  falsity  is  removed  to  the  sides, 
comparatively  as  sediment  falls  to  tiie  bottom  of  a 
vessel ;  and  good  becomes  as  generous  wine  after  fer- 
mentation, and  clear  liquor:  but  if  evil  conquers,  then 
good  with  its  truth  is  removed  to  the  sides,  and 
becomes  turbid  and  foul,  like  unfermented  wine  and 
imfermented  liquor.  The  comparison  is  with  fermen- 
tation, because  ferment  [leaven]  in  the  Word  signifies 
the  false  of  evil  as  in  Hos.  vii.  4,  Luke  xii.  1,  and 
elsewhere. 


THAT    THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE    IS    EQUALLY  WITH    THE  EVIL 
AS    WITH    THE    GOOD, 

285.  With  every  man,  as  well  good  as  evil,  there 
are  two  faculties,  one  of  which  makes  the  under- 
standing, and  the  other  the  will ;  the  faculty  which 
makes  the  understanding,  is  that  he  can  understand 
and  think  ;  this  is  hence  called  rationality;  and  the 
faculty  which  makes  the  will,  is  that  he  can  do  them 
freely,  namely,  think,  and  thence  also  speak  and  do, 
provided  it  is  not  contrary  to  reason  or  rationality; 
for  to  act  freely,  is  to  act  as  often  as  he  wishes,  and 
just  as  he  wishes.  Since  these  two  factdties  are  per- 
petual, and  continuous  from  first  things  to  ultimates  in 
each  and  every  thing  which  man  thinks  and  does,  and 
since  they  are  not  in  man  from  himself,  but  are  with 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE,  299 

man  from  the  Lord,  it  follows  that  the  presence  of  the 
Lord,  when  in  them,  is  also  in  each  thing,  yea,  in  the 
most  particular  things  of  man's  understanding  and 
thought,  also  of  his  will  and  atfection,  and  hence  in  the 
most  particular  things  of  speech  and  action  :  remove 
these  faculties  from  any  particular,  and  you  will  not  be 
able  to  think  nor  speak  it  as  a  man.  That  man  is  man 
by  these  two  faculties,  can  think  and  speak,  perceive 
goods  and  understand  truths,  not  only  civil  and  moral, 
but  also  spiritual  ones,  and  be  reformed  and  regenerated, 
in  a  word,  that  he  can  be  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  and 
thereby  live  to  eternity,  has  been  shown  in  many  places 
before  :  and  also,  that  not  only  good  men  have  these 
two  faculties,  but  also  the  evil.  Now  because  these 
faculties  are  with  man  from  the  Lord,  and  not  appro- 
priated to  man  as  his  ;  for  the  Divine  cannot  be  appro- 
priated to  man  as  his,  but  can  be  adjoined  to  him, 
and  thereby  appear  as  his  ;  and  because  that  Divine 
with  man  is  in  the  most  particular  things  of  him,  it 
follows  that  the  Lord  governs  the  most  particular 
things,  as  well  with  the  evil  man,  as  with  the  good 
man ;  and  the  government  of  the  Lord  is  what  is 
called  the  Divine  Providence. 

286.  Now  because  it  is  a  law  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, that  man  may  act  from  freedom  according  to 
reason,  that  is,  from  the  two  faculties,  liberty  and 
rationality  ;  and  as  it  is  also  a  law  of  the  Divine 
Providence,  that  that  which  he  does  should  appear  to 
man  as  from  himself,  and  hence  as  his  ;  and  also  a 
law,  that  evils  are  to  be  permitted,  that  he  may  be 
led  out  of  them,  it  follows  that  man  may  abuse  these 
faculties,  and  from  freedom  according  to  reason  con- 
firm whatever  he  plea.ses  ;  for  he  can  make  to  be  of 
reason  whatever  he  wishes,  whether  it  is  or  is  not  of 
reason  in  itself;  wherefore  some  say,  What  is  truth  1 
cannot  I  make  true  Avhatever  I  wish  ?  does  not  the 
world  also  do  so  7  and  he  who  can  do  this,  does  it  by 
ratiocinations  :  take  the  most  false  thing,  and  say  to 
one  ingenious,  confirm  it,  and  he  will  confirm  it ;  for 
instance,  tell  him  to  confirm  that  man  is  a  beast ;  or 


300  ANGELIC  WISDOM  CONCERNING 

say  tliat  the  soul  is  like  a  little  spider  in  its  web,  and 
governs  the  body  like  it  by  threads ;  or  say  to  him 
that  religion  is  not  anything,  but  only  a  bond  ;  and  he 
will  confirm  any  one  of  these,  so  that  it  may  appear 
as  true  :  what  is  easier '?  because  he  does  not  know 
what  appearance  is,  nor  what  falsity  assumed  as  truth 
from  blind  faith  is  :  from  this  it  is,  that  man  cannot 
see  this  truth,  that  the  Divine  Providence  is  in  the 
most  particular  things  of  the  understanding  and  will, 
or,  what  is  the  same,  in  the  most  particular  things  of 
the  thoughts  and  atfections  with  every  man,  evil  as 
well  as  good  :  he  confounds  himself  especially  by 
this,  that  thus  evils  also  would  be  from  the  Lord  ; 
but  that  still  not  a  whit  of  evil  is  from  the  Lord,  but 
from  man,  by  his  confirming  with  himself  the  appear- 
ance that  he  thinks,  wills,  speaks  and  acts  of  himself, 
will  be  seen  in  the  things  now  following  ;  which,  that 
they  may  be  clearly  seen,  are  to  be  demonstrated  in 
this  order.  1.  That  the  Divine  Providence,  not  only 
with  the  good,  but  also  with  the  evil,  is  universal  in 
the  most  particular  things  ;  and  that  still  it  is  not  in 
their  evils.  2.  That  the  evil  continually  lead  them- 
selves into  evils,  but  that  the  Lord  continually  with- 
draws them  from  evils.  3.  That  the  evil  cannot  at  all 
be  withdrawn  from  evil  by  the  Lord,  and  be  led  in 
good,  as  long  as  they  believe  that  their  own  intelli- 
gence is  all,  and  the  Divine  Providence  not  anything. 
4.  That  the  Lord  governs  hell  by  opposites,  and  that 
the  evil  who  are  in  the  world  he  governs  ir\  hell  as  to 
interiors,  but  not  as  to  exteriors. 

287.  I.  That  the  Divine  Providence^  not  only  tvith 
tlie  ^ood^  hut  ((ho  tvith  the  evil,  is  universal  hi  the  most 
partiodar  things  ;  and  that  still  it  is  not  in  their  evils. 
It  was  shown  above,  that  the  Divine  Providence  is  in 
the  most  particular  things  of  the  thoughts  and  affec- 
tions of  man  ;  by  which  is  understood,  that  man  can 
think  and  will  nothing  of  himself;  but  that  all  that 
he  thinks  and  wills,  and  thence  speaks  and  does,  is 
from  influx;  if  it  is  good,  from  influx  from  heaven, 
and  if  evil,  from  influx  from  hell;  or,  what  is  the 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  301 

same,  that  good  is  from,  influx  from  the  Lord,  and  evil 
from  the  proprium  of  man.  But  I  know  that  these 
things  can  hardly  be  comprehended,  because  a  distinc- 
tion is  made  between  that  which  flows  in  from  heaven 
or  from  the  Lord,  and  that  which  flows  in  from  hell 
or  from  the  proprium  of  man  ;  and  still  it  is  said,  that 
the  Divine  Providence  is  in  the  most  particular  things 
of  the  thoughts  and  atFections  of  man,  so  far  that  man 
cannot  think  and  will  from  himself:  but  because  it  is 
said,  that  he  can  also  from  hell,  also  from  his  propri- 
um, it  appears  as  contradictory,  but  still  it  is  not;  that 
it  is  not.  will  be  seen  in  what  follows,  after  some 
things  are  premised,  which  will  illustrate  the  subject. 
288.  That  no  one  can  think  from  himself,  but  from 
the  Lord,  all  the  angels  of  heaven  confess  ;  but  that 
no  one  can  think  from  any  other  than  from  himself, 
all  the  spirits  of  hell  say  :  yet  it  has  many  times  been 
shown  to  the  latter,  that  not  one  of  them  thinks  from 
himself,  nor  can  ;  but  that  it  flows  in  :  but  in  vain  ; 
they  did  not  wish  to  receive  it.  But  experience  will 
teach,  first,  that  all  of  thought  and  affection,  even 
with  the  spirits  of  hell,  flows  in  from  heaven ;  but 
that  good  flowing  in  is  there  turned  into  evil,  and  truth 
into  falsity;  thus  all  into  the  opposite  :  this  has  been 
shown  thus;  there  was  let  down  from  heaven  a  cer- 
tain truth  from  the  Word,  and  this  was  received  by 
those  who  were  above  in  hell,  and  by  them  it  was  let 
down  into  the  lower  parts  even  to  the  lowest;  and  in 
the  way  it  was  successively  turned  into  falsity,  and  at 
length  into  the  falsity  altogether  opposite  to  the  truth  ; 
and  they  with  whom  it  was  turned,  thought  the  fal- 
sity as  from  themselves,  and  did  not  know  otherwise; 
when  yet  it  was  a  truth  from  heaven  thus  falsified 
and  perverted  while  flowing  down  in  the  way  to  the 
lowest  hell.  That  this  has  been  done,  I  have  heard 
three  or  four  times  :  the  like  is  done  with  good  ;  this 
flowing  down  from  heaven  is  progressively  turned  into 
evil  opposite  to  the  good.  Hence  it  was  manifest,  that 
truth  and  good  proceeding  from  the  Lord,  received  by 
those  who  are  in  falsity  and  in  evil,  is  changed,  and 
26 


302  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

passes  into  another  form,  so  that  the  first  form  does 
not  appear.  The  hke  takes  place  with  every  evil 
man  ;  for  he,  as  to  his  spirit,  is  iu  hell. 

289.  That  neither  does  any  one  in  hell  think  from 
himself,  but  from  others  around  him,  nor  these  others 
from  themselves,  but  also  from  others,  and  that  thoughts 
and  affections  go  in  order  from  society  to  society,  with- 
out any  one  knowing  otherwise  than  that  they  are 
from  himself,  has  been  very  often  shown.  Some  who 
believed  that  they  thought  and  willed  from  themselves, 
Avere  sent  into  a  society,  the  communication  with  the 
neighboring  ones  being  intercepted,  to  which  also 
their  thoughts  were  accustomed  to  extend,  and  they 
were  detained  in  it :  and  then  they  were  told  to  think 
otherwise  than  the  spirits  of  that  society  thought,  and 
to  compel  themselves  to  think  contrary  to  it ;  but  they 
confessed  that  this  was  impossible  to  them.  This 
was  done  with  many,  and  with  Leibnitz  too ;  who 
also  was  convinced  that  no  one  thinks  from  himself, 
but  from  others,  and  that  neither  do  others  from 
themselves,  and  that  all  do  from  influx  from  heaven, 
and  that  heaven  does  from  influx  from  the  Lord.  Some, 
meditating  on  this  subject,  said  that  this  was  astonish- 
ing, and  that  scarcely  any  one  could  be  led  to  believe 
it,  because  it  is  altogether  contrary  to  appearance ;  but 
that  still  they  could  not  deny  it,  because  it  was  fully 
shown  :  but  yet,  when  they  were  in  the  admiration, 
they  said,  that  thus  they  were  not  in  fault  that  they 
thought  evil :  also  that  it  thus  seemed  as  if  evil  was 
from  the  Lord  :  and  also  that  they  did  not  compre- 
hend how  the  Lord  alone  could  cause  that  all  should 
think  in  such  different  manners.  But  these  three 
things  are  to  be  unfolded  in  the  following  pages. 

290.  To  the  experiments  adduced  must  also  be 
added  these :  when  it  was  given  me  by  the  Lord  to 
speak  with  spirits  and  angels,  this  arcanum  was  im- 
mediately disclosed  to  me ;  for  it  was  said  to  me  from 
heaven,  that  I  believed  like  others,  that  I  thought  and 
that  I  willed  of  myself;  when  yet  nothing  was  from 
myself;  but  that  if  good,  that  it  was  from  the  Lord, 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  303 

and  if  evil,  it  was  from  hell :  that  it  was  so,  was  also 
demonstrated  to  the  life  by  various  thoughts  and 
affections  induced  upon  me ;  and  it  was  gradually- 
given  to  perceive  and  feel  it;  wherefore,  afterwards, 
as  soon  as  any  evil  glided  into  the  will,  or  any  falsity 
into  the  understanding,  I  searched  whence  it  was, 
and  it  was  disclosed  to  me ;  and  it  was  also  given  to 
speak  Avith  them,  to  confute  them,  and  to  compel 
them  to  recede,  and  thus  to  take  back  their  evil 
and  falsity,  and  retain  it  with  themselves,  and  not 
infuse  any  such  thing  into  my  thought  any  more : 
this  has  been  done  a  thousand  times ;  and  I  have 
remained  in  this  state  now  for  many  years,  and  still 
remain  in  it;  and  yet  I  seem  to  myself  to  think  and 
will  of  myself  like  others,  with  no  difterence ;  for  it 
is  of  the  Providence  of  the  Lord  that  it  should  appear 
so  to  every  one,  as  was  shown  above  in  an  article 
thereon.  Novitiate  spirits  wonder  at  this  my  state, 
not  seeing  otherwise  than  that  1  do  not  think  and  will 
anything  of  myself,  and  therefore  that  I  am  like  some 
empty  thing :  but  I  have  opened  the  arcanum  to 
them ;  and  that  I  also  still  think  interiorly,  and  per- 
ceive what  flows  into  my  exterior  thought,  whether 
it  is  from  heaven  or  whether  from  hell ;  and  that  I 
reject  the  latter,  and  receive  the  former,  and  that  I 
still  seem  to  myself  to  think  and  will  of  myself,  like 
them. 

291.  That  all  good  is  from  heaven,  and  that  all 
evil  is  from  hell,  is  not  among  the  things  unknown  in 
the  world  ;  it  is  known  to  every  one  in  the  church  ; 
who  in  it,  that  is  inaugurated  in  the  priesthood,  does 
not  teach  that  all  good  is  from  God?  and  that  man 
cannot  take  anything  of  himself,  which  is  not  given 
to  him  from  heaven  I  and  also  that  the  devil  infuses 
evils  into  the  thoughts,  and  seduces,  and  excites  to 
doing  them  ?  wherefore  the  priest  who  believes  that 
he  is  preaching  from  a  holy  zeal,  prays  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  would  teach  him,  lead  his  thoughts,  and  his 
speech;  and  some  say  that  they  have  perceived  by 
sense   that   they   are   acted   upon,    and    when   their 


304  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

preachings  are  praised,  they  answer  piously,  that 
they  did  not  speak  from  themselves,  but  from  God. 
Wherefore  also,  when  they  see  any  one  speaking  well 
and  acting  well,  they  say  that  he  is  led  to  it  by  God ; 
and  on  the  contrary,  when  they  see  any  one  speaking 
ill  and  aciing  ill,  they  say  that  he  is  led  to  it  by  the 
dev^il  :  that  such  discourse  is  in  the  church,  is  known; 
but  who  believes  that  it  is  so  7 

292.  That  from  one  only  fountain  of  life  flows  in 
all  that  man  thinks  and  wills,  and  hence  that  he 
speaks  and  does,  and  still  that  the  only  fountain  of  life, 
which  is  the  Lord,  is  not  the  cause  that  man  thinks 
evil  and  falsity,  may  be  illustrated  by  these  things  in 
the  natural  world:  from  its  sun  proceed  heat  and 
light,  and  these  two  flow  into  all  subjects  and  objects, 
which  appear  before  the  eyes;  not  only  into  good 
subjects  and  beautiful  objects,  but  also  into  evil  sub- 
jects and  unbeautiful  objects,  and  produce  varieties  in 
them  :  for  they  flow  in  not  only  into  trees  which  bear 
good  fruits,  but  also  into  trees  which  bear  bad  fruits ; 
yea,  also  iuto  the  fruits  thomselvos,  and  give  vegeta- 
tions to  them  :  in  like  manner  into  good  seeds,  and 
also  into  weeds :  then  too  into  shrubs  of  good  use  or 
wholesome,  and  also  into  shrubs  of  evil  use  or  poison- 
ous :  and  yet  it  is  the  same  heat,  and  the  same  light, 
in  which  there  is  no  cause  of  evil,  but  this  is  in  the 
subjects  and  objects  receiving.  The  heat  which 
hatches  eggs  in  which  lies  hid  an  owl,  a  toad,  an  asp, 
does  the  like  as  when  it  hatches  eggs  in  which  lies 
hid  a  dove,  a  beautiful  bird,  and  a  swan:  place  eggs 
of  both  kinds  under  a  hen,  and  from  her  heat,  which 
in  itself  is  harmless,  they  will  be  hatched ;  what 
therefore  has  heat  in  common  with  those  evil  and 
noxious  things?  Heat,  flowing  into  marshy,  sterco- 
raceous,  rotten  and  cadaverous  things,  does  in  like 
manner  as  it  does  when  into  vinous,  fragrant,  vegeta- 
tive and  living  things  :  who  does  not  see  that  the  cause 
is  not  in  the  heat,  but  in  the  subject  receiving?  The 
same  light  also  presents  pleasant  colors  in  one  object, 
and  unpleasant  in  another ;  yea,  it  brightens  itself  in 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  305 

bright  things,  and  shines ;  and  it  dims  itself  in  things 
inclining  to  black,  and  darkens  itself.  It  is  the  like 
in  the  spiritual  world :  there  also  there  is  heat  and 
light  from  its  sun,  which  is  the  Lord  ;  which  flow 
from  Him  into  their  subjects  and  objects  :  the  subjects 
and  objects  there  are  angels  and  spirits;  in  particular, 
the  voluntary  and  intellectual  things  of  them.  Heat 
there  is  the  divine  love  proceeding,  and  light  there  is 
the  divine  wisdom  proceeding :  these  are  not  the 
cause  that  they  are  received  otherwise  by  one  than 
by  another  ;  for  the  Lord  says,  "  That  he  maketh  the 
sun  to  rise  upon  the  evil  and  the  good,  and  sendeth 
rain  upon  the  just  and  the  unjust,"  Matt.  v.  45  :  by 
the  sun  in  the  supreme  spiritual  sense  is  understood 
the  Divine  Love,  and  by  rain,  the  Divine  Wisdom. 

293.  To  these  things  I  will  add  an  angelic  senti- 
ment concerning  will  and  intelligence  with  man :  the 
sentiment  is  this,  that  there  is  not  given  a  grain  of  his 
own  will  and  his  own  prudence  with  any  man  ;  saying, 
if  there  was  given  a  grain  with  any  one  whatever, 
heaven  would  not  hold  together,  nor  hell ;  and  the 
whole  human  race  would  perish  :  the  reason  they  say 
is,  because  myriads  of  myriads  of  men,  as  many  as 
have  been  born  from  the  creation  of  the  world,  consti- 
tute heaven  and  hell ;  one  of  which  is  under  the  other 
in  such  order,  that  on  both  sides  they  make  a  one ; 
heaven  one  beautiful  man,  and  hell  one  monstrous 
man  :  if  any  had  a  grain  of  his  own  will  and  his  own 
intelligence,  that  one  could  not  subsist,  but  would  be 
torn  in  pieces,  and  with  it  would  perish  that  divine 
form  ;  which  can  no  otherwise  hold  together  and  be  per- 
manent, than  vv^hen  the  Lord  is  all  in  all,  and  they 
nothing  in  the  whole.  They  say  there  is  still  a 
reason  ;  that  to  think  and  will  from  self,  is  the  Divine 
itself;  and  to  think  and  will  from  God,  is  the  human 
itself;  and  the  Divine  itself  cannot  be  appropriated  to 
any  man,  for  thus  man  would  become  God.  Keep  this, 
and  if  you  wish,  you  will  be  confirmed  by  the  angels, 
when  you  come  into  the  spiritual  world  after  death. 

294.  It  was  said  above,  n.  289,  that  when  certain 

26=* 


306  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

ones  were  convinced  that  no  one  thinks  from  himself, 
but  from  others,  and  that  all  others  do  not  from  them- 
selves,   but    from    influx    through    heaven    from    the 
Lord,  they  said  in  admiration,  that  thus  they  are  not 
in  fault  if  they  do  evil ;  also,  that  thus  it  seems  that 
evil  is  from  the  Lord  ;  as  also,  that  they  did  not  com- 
prehend that   the   Lord  alone   could    cause    that    all 
should  think  in  such    different    manners.     Now   be- 
cause   these    three   things  cannot  but   flow  into  the 
thoughts  with  those  who  only  think  of  effects  from 
efl'ects,  and  not  of  effects  from  causes,  it  is  necessary 
that  they  should  be  taken  up,  and  be  disclosed  from 
causes.       First  :    TJiat   thus   they   wovld    not   he   in 
faulty  that  they  do  evil:  for  if  all  that  man  thinks  flows 
in  from    others,   it  seems  as  if  the    fault    was    with 
those    from    whom    it  flows    in  :    but   still   the  fault 
itself  is  with  him  who  receives,  for  he  receives  it  as 
his  own,  nor  does  he  know  any  other,  nor  wish  to 
know  any    other :    for    every  one    wishes   to  be    his 
own,  and  to  be  led  of  himself,  especially  to  think  and 
will  from  himself;   for  this  is  freedom  itself,  which 
appears  as  proprium,  in  which  every  man  is;  where- 
fore, if  he  knew  that  that  which  he  thinks  and  wills 
flowed  in  from  another,  he  would  seem  to  himself  as 
if  bound  and  a  captive,  no  longer  at  his  own  direc- 
tion ;  and  thus  all  the  delight  of  his  life  would  perish, 
and  at  length  the  human  itself.     That  it  is  so,  1  have 
often  seen  confirmed:  it  was  given  to  some  to  per- 
ceive  and  feel   that   they  were  led  by   others ;  they 
then  burned  with  anger,    till  they  became  as  if  out 
of  their  right  mind;  and  they   said   that  they  would 
wish    rather  to  be  held  bound   in  hell,   than  not  be 
permitted  to   think  as  they  will,  and  to  will  as  they 
think  :  that  this  is  not  permitted,  they  called  being 
tied  as   to   the   life  itself,  which   is  harder  and  more 
intolerable  than  to  be  tied  as  to  body  :  not  to  be  per- 
mitted to  speak  and  do  as  they  think  and  will,  they 
did  not  call   being  tied,  because  the  delight   of  civil 
and  moral  life,  which  consists  in  speaking  and  doing, 
bridles  it,  and  at  the  same  time  as  it  were  mitigates 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  307 

it.  Now  because  man  does  not  wish  to  know  that  he 
is  led  by  others  to  think,  but  wishes  to  think  from 
himself,  and  also  believes  this,  it  follows  that  he  is  in 
fault,  nor  can  reject  it  from  himself,  as  long  as  he 
loves  to  think  what  he  thinks  :  but  if  he  does  not  love 
it,  he  releases  himself  from  connection  with  them  ; 
this  is  done  when  he  knows  that  it  is  evil,  and  there- 
fore wills  to  shun  it  and  desist  from  it ;  then  also  he 
is  taken  by  the  Lord  from  the  society  which  is  in 
that  evil,  and  is  transferred  into  a  society  in  which  it 
is  not :  but  if  he  knows  evil,  and  does  not  shun  it, 
then  the  fault  is  imputed  to  him,  and  he  becomes 
guilty  of  that  evil.  Whatever  therefore  man  believes 
that  he  does  from  himself,  is  said  to  be  done  from  man, 
and  not  from  the  Lord.  Secondly  :  That  thus  it 
seems,  that  evil  is  from  the  Lord  :  this  may  be  thought 
as  a  conclusion  from  the  things  which  were  shown 
above,  n.  288,  which  are,  that  good  flowing  in  from 
the  Lord  is  turned  into  evil,  and  truth  into  falsity, 
in  hell :  but  who  cannot  see  that  evil  and  falsity  are 
not  from  good  and  truth,  thus  from  the  Lord,  but 
from  the  subject  and  object  receiving,  which  is  in  evil 
and  falsity,  and  perverts  and  inverts  it?  as  has  also 
been  fully  shown  above,  n.  292.  But  whence  evil 
and  falsity  is  with  man,  has  been  shown  many  times 
in  the  preceding  pages.  The  experiment  has  also 
been  made  in  the  spiritual  world  with  those  who  be- 
lieved that  the  Lord  could  remove  evils  with  the  evil, 
and  introduce  goods  in  their  place,  and  thus  transfer 
the  whole  hell  into  heaven,  and  save  all :  but  that  this 
is  impossible,  will  be  seen  at  the  end  of  this  treatise, 
where  instantaneous  salvation  and  immediate  mercy 
are  to  be  discussed.  Thirdly  :  That  they  do  not  co)n- 
prehend,  that  the  Lord  alone  can  cause  that  all  should 
think  in  so  different  a  manner :  the  divine  love  of  the 
Lord  is  infinite,  and  His  divine  wisdom  is  infinite  ;  and 
infinite  things  of  love  and  infinite  things  of  wisdom 
proceed  from  the  Lord,  and  these  flow  in  with  all  in 
heaven,  and  thence  with  all  in  hell,  and  from  both  with 
all  in  the  world ;  wherefore  it  cannot  be  wanting  to  any 
one  to  think  and  will,  for  infinite  things  are  infinitely 


308  ANGELIC    AVISDOM    CONCERNING 

all.  Those  infinite  things  which  proceed  from  the 
Lord,  not  only  flow  in  universally,  but  also  most 
particularly  ;  for  the  Divine  is  universal  from  things 
the  most  particular;  and  the  most  particular  divine 
things  are  what  is  called  the  universal,  as  was  shown 
above  ;  and  the  most  particular  divine  is  also  infinite. 
From  these  things  it  may  be  evident,  that  the  Lord 
alone  makes  everyone  think  and  will  according  to  his 
quality,  and  according  to  the  laws  of  His  Providence. 
That  all  things  which  are  in  the  Lord,  and  proceed 
from  the  Lord,  are  infinite,  was  shown  above,  n.  46 
to  69 ;  and  also  in  the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine 
Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  17  to  22. 

295.  II.  That  fhe  evil  contbmaUy  lead  themselves 
into  evils,  but  that  the  Lord  continually  7vithdrauis  them 
from  evils.  What  the  Divine  Providence  is  with  the 
good,  is  more  easily  comprehended  than  what  it  is 
with  the  evil ;  and  because  the  latter  is  now  treated 
of,  it  shall  be  told  in  this  series.  1.  That  there  are 
innumerable  things  in  every  evil.  2.  That  the  evil 
of  himself  continually  leads  himself  deeper  into  his 
evils.  3.  That  the  Divine  Providence  with  the  evil  is 
the  continual  permission  of  evil,  to  the  end  that  there 
may  be  a  continual  withdrawment.  4.  That  the 
withdrawment  from  evil  is  done  by  the  Lord  in  a 
thousand  ways,  even  the  most  secret. 

296.  Therefore,  that  the  Divine  Providence  with  the 
evil  may  be  distinctly  perceived,  and  thus  compre- 
hended, the  things  mentioned  above  are  to  be  ex- 
plained in  that  series  in  which  they  are  adduced : 
First  :  That  there  are  innumerable  things  in  every 
evil:  every  evil  appears  before  man  as  one  simple 
thing;  so  appears  hatred  and  revenge,  so  theft  and 
fraud,  so  adultery  and  whoredom,  so  pride  and  elation 
of  mind,  besides  tlie  rest ;  and  it  is  not  known  that 
there  are  innumerable  things  in  every  evil  :  there  are 
more  than  there  are  fibres  and  vessels  in  man's  body ; 
for  an  evil  man  is  a  hell  in  the  least  form  ;  and  hell 
consists  of  myriads  of  myriads;  and  every  one  there 
is  in  form  as  a  man,  although  monstrous ;  and  all  the 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  309 

fibres  and  all  the  vessels  in  him  are  inverted  :  the 
spirit  itself  is  an  evil,  appearing  to  itself  as  a  one;  but 
as  many  innumerable  things  as  there  are  in  it,  so 
many  are  the  concnpiscences  of  that  evil;  for  every 
man  is  his  good  or  his  evil,  from  the  head  lo  the  sole 
of  the  foot :  since  therefore  an  evil  one  is  such,  it  is 
manifest  that  he  is  one  evil  compounded  of  various 
innumerable  ones,  which  distinctly  are  evils,  and  are 
called  concupiscences  of  evil.  From  this  it  follows, 
that  all  these  things,  in  the  order  in  which  they  are, 
must  be  repaired  and  converted  by  the  Lord,  that 
man  may  be  reformed,  and  that  this  cannot  be  done 
except  by  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  LiOrd  succes- 
sively from  man's  first  age  even  to  his  last.  Every 
concupiscence  of  evil  in  hell,  when  it  is  represented, 
appears  like  a  noxious  animal ;  as,  either  like  a  dragon, 
or  like  a  basilisk,  or  like  a  viper,  or  like  an  owl,  or 
like  a  howlet,  and  so  on  :  in  like  manner  do  the  con- 
cupiscences of  evil  appear  with  an  evil  man,  when  he 
is  viewed  by  the  angels  :  all  these  forms  of  concupis- 
cences must  be  converted  one  by  one :  the  man  him- 
self, who  as  to  his  spirit  appears  as  a  man-monster  or 
as  a  devil,  must  be  converted,  that  he  may  be  like  a 
beautiful  angel ;  and  every  concupiscence  of  evil  must 
be  converted,  that  it  may  appear  like  a  lamb,  or  a 
sheep,  or  like  a  dove  and  a  turtle-dove ;  just  as  the  af- 
fections of  good  of  the  angels  in  heaven  appear,  when 
they  are  represented;  and  to  convert  a  dragon  into  a 
lamb,  a  basilisk  into  a  sheep,  and  an  owl  into  a  dove, 
cannot  be  done  except  gradually,  by  eradicating  evil 
from  their  seed,  and  implanting  good  seed  in  its  place. 
But  this  cannot  be  done  otherwise  than  comparatively 
as  is  done  with  the  grafting  of  trees,  the  roots  of  which, 
with  some  of  the  trunk,  remain  ;  but  still  the  ingrafted 
branch  turns  the  sap  extracted  through  the  old  root 
into  sap  making  good  fruits:  the  branch  to  be  in- 
grafted cannot  be  taken  from  elsewhere  than  from  the 
Lord,  who  is  the  tree  of  life ;  which  is  also  according 
to  the  words  of  the  Lord,  John  xv.  1  to  7.  Secondly: 
That  the  evil  of  himself  continually  leads   himself 


310  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

deeper  into  his  evils  :  it  is  said,  of  himself,  because  all 
evil  is  from  man ;  for  he  turns  good,  which  is  from  the 
Lord,  into  evil,  as  was  said  above.  The  cause  itself 
that  the  evil  leads  himself  deeper  into  evil  is,  that  he 
brings  himself  into  infernal  societies  more  and  more 
interiorly,  and  also  deeper  and  deeper,  as  he  wills  and 
does  evil ;  hence  also  the  delight  of  evil  increases,  and 
this  so  takes  possession  of  his  thoughts,  that  at  length 
he  feels  nothing  sweeter  ;  and  he  who  has  brought 
himself  more  interiorly  and  deeper  into  infernal  socie- 
ties, becomes  as  if  bound  around  with  bonds  ;  but  as 
long  as  he  lives  in  the  world,  he  does  not  feel  the 
bonds ;  they  are  as  of  soft  wool,  or  of  delicate 
threads  of  silk,  which  he  loves,  because  they  titillate ; 
but  after  death,  those  bonds  from  soft  become  hard, 
and  from  titillating,  galling.  That  the  delight  of 
evil  receives  increase,  is  known  from  thefts,  robbe- 
ries, plunderings,  revenges,  domineerings,  gains,  and 
other  things  :  who  does  not  feel  elevations  of  delight 
in  them  according  to  the  success  and  according  to  un- 
restrained exercise?  it  is  known,  that  a  thief  feels  such 
delight  in  thefts,  that  he  cannot  desist ;  and,  what  is 
wonderful,  that  he  loves  one  stolen  coin  more  than  ten 
coins  presented  as  a  gift :  the  like  would  also  be  with 
adulteries,  unless  it  was  provided  that  that  evil  should 
decrease  in  potency  according  to  the  abuse  :  but  still 
the  delight  of  thinking  and  speaking  of  them  remains 
with  many,  and  if  no  more,  still  the  lust  of  touching. 
But  it  is  not  known  that  this  is  from  hence,  viz.,  that  he 
brings  himself  into  infernal  societies  more  and  more 
interiorly,  also  deeper  and  deeper,  as  he  commits  evils 
from  will  and  at  the  same  time  thought:  if  they  are  only 
in  thought,  and  not  in  the  will,  he  is  not  yet  with  evil 
in  an  infernal  society  ;  but  he  then  enters,  when  they 
are  also  in  the  will  :  if  he  then  thinks  also  that  that 
evil  is  contrary  to  the  precepts  of  the  decalogue,  and 
makes  them  divine,  he  then  commits  it  from  purpose, 
and  thereby  lets  himself  down  deeply,  from  which  ho 
cannot  be  drawn  out  except  by  actual  repentance.  It 
is  to  be  known,  that  every  man  as  to  his  spirit  is  in 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  311 

the  spiritual  world  in  some  society  there;  an  evil 
man  in  an  infernal  society,  and  a  good  man  in  a  hea- 
venly societ}'^ ;  he  also  appears  sometimes  there,  when 
he  is  in  deep  meditation.  Also,  that  as  sound  with 
speech  spreads  itself  around  in  the  air  in  the  natural 
world,  so  affection  with  thought  spreads  itself  around 
into  societies  in  the  spiritual  world  :  there  is  also  a 
correspondence ;  for  affection  corresponds  to  sound, 
and  thought  to  speech.  Thirdly  :  TJiat  the  Divine 
Providence  with  the  evil  is  the  continual  jjermissio7i  of 
evil,  to  the  end  that  there  maybe  a  continual ivithdrcnv- 
■ment.  That  the  Divine  Providence  with  evil  men  is 
continual  permission,  is  because  nothing  else  can  go 
forth  from  their  life  but  evil;  for  man,  whether  he  is 
in  good  or  in  evil,  cannot  be  in  both  at  the  same  time, 
nor  by  turns,  unless  he  is  lukewarm;  and  evil  of  life 
is  not  introduced  into  the  will  and  through  it  into 
thought  by  the  Lord,  but  is  introduced  by  man  ;  and 
this  is  called  permission.  Now  because  all  things 
which  an  evil  man  wills  and  thinks  are  of  permission, 
it  is  asked.  What  then  is  the  Divine  Providence  therein, 
which  is  said  to  be  in  things  the  most  particular  with 
every  man,  as  well  evil  as  good  7  but  it  consists  in 
this,  that  it  continually  permits  for  the  end,  and  that 
it  permits  such  things  as  are  of  the  end,  and  not 
others;  and  that  it  continually  surveys,  separates,  and 
purifies  the  evils  which  proceed  from  permission,  and 
those  not  agreeing  it  sends  away  and  discharges 
through  unknown  ways :  these  things  are  especially 
done  in  man's  interior  will,  and  from  this  in  his  interior 
thought :  the  Divine  Providence  is  also  continual  in 
this,  that  it  takes  care  lest  the  things  to  be  sent  away 
and  discharged  should  be  received  again  by  the  will ; 
since  all  things  which  are  received  by  the  will,  are  ap- 
propriated to  man  ;  but  those  which  are  received  by 
the  thought,  and  not  by  the  will,  are  separated  and 
sent  off.  This  is  the  continual  Providence  of  the  Lord 
with  the  evil,  which,  as  was  said,  is  a  continual  per- 
mission, for  the  end  that  there  may  be  a  perpetual 
withdrawment.    Concerning  these  things  man  scarcely 


312  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

knows  anything,  because  he  does  not  perceive :  the 
primary  cause  that  he  does  not  perceive  is,  because 
they  are  evils  of  the  concupiscences  of  his  hfe's  love, 
and  these  evils  are  not  felt  as  evils,  but  as  delights,  to 
which  no  one  attends  :  who  attends  to  the  delights  of 
his  love  ?  in  them  his  thought  swims,  like  a  boat 
which  is  carried  in  the  current  of  a  river;  and  it  is 
perceived  as  an  atmosphere  smelling  fragrantly,  which 
is  drawn  in  with  a  full  breath  :  he  can  only  feel . 
something  of  them  in  his  external  thought,  but  still  he 
neither  attends  to  them  there,  unless  he  knows  full 
well  that  they  are  evils.  But  more  will  be  said  con- 
cerning these  things  in  what  now  follows.  Fourth- 
ly :  That  the  withdrawment  from  evil  is  done  by  the 
Lord  in  a  thovsa7id  7vays,  even  the  tnost  secret :  only  a 
few  of  them  have  been  disclosed  to  me,  and  none  but 
the  most  common  ;  which  are,  that  the  delights  of  the 
concupiscences,  concerning  which  man  knows  nothing, 
are  emitted  in  heaps  and  bundles  into  the  interior 
thoughts,  which  are  of  the  spirit  of  man,  and  thence 
into  his  exterior  thoughts,  in  which  they  appear  under 
some  sense  of  pleasure,  either  pleasant  or  eager,  and 
are  mixed  there  with  his  natural  and  sensual  delights  : 
the  means  of  separation  and  purification  are  there, 
and  also  the  ways  of  withdrawment  and  discharge: 
the  means  are  especially  the  delights  of  meditation, 
thought  and  reflection  for  the  sake  of  certain  ends, 
which  are  uses  ;  and  the  ends  which  are  uses  are  just 
as  many  as  are  the  particulars  and  singulars  of  any 
one's  business  or  function,  and  as  are  the  delights  of 
reflection  for  the  sake  of  the  ends  that  he  may  appear 
as  a  civil  and  moral,  and  also  as  a  spiritual  man;  be- 
sides the  undelightful  things  which  sometimes  come 
in  :  these  delights,  because  they  are  of  his  love  in  the 
external  man,  are  means  of  the  separation,  purifica- 
tion, excretion  and  withdrawment  of  the  delights  of 
the  concupiscences  of  evil  in  the  internal  man.  Let 
there  be  as  an  example  an  unjust  judge,  who  regards 
gains  or  friendships  as  ends,  or  as  the  uses  of  his  func- 
tion :  interiorly  he  is  continually  in  them,  but  exteri- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  313 

orly  that  he  may  act  as  one  skilled  in  the  law  and  just : 
he  is  continually  in  the  delight  of  meditation,  thought, 
refiection  and  intention,  that  he  may  bend,  turn,  ac- 
commodate and  adapt  the  right,  so  that  it  may  appear 
conformable  to  the  laws,  and  analogous  to  justice ;  nor 
does  he  know  that  his  internal  delight  consists  of 
clandestine  craftinesses,  frauds,  deceits,  thefts,  and 
many  other  things;  and  that  that  delight,  composed 
of  so  many  delights  of  the  concupiscences  of  evil,  rules 
in  all  and  each  of  the  things  of  external  thought,  in 
which  the  delights  of  the  appearance  that  he  is  just 
and  sincere,  are:  into  these  external  delights  the  in- 
ternal delights  are  let  down,  and  are  mixed  like  food 
in  the  stomach,  and  are  tliere  separated,  purified  and 
drawn  off;  but  still,  no  other  delights  of  the  concupis- 
cences of  evil,  but  what  are  the  more  grievous  :  for 
with  an  evil  man  there  is  not  given  any  other  separa- 
tion, purification  and  withdrawment,  except  of  the  more 
grievous  evils  from  the  less  grievous  ones  ;  but  with  a 
good  man  there  is  given  the  separation,  purification 
and  withdrawment  of  evils,  not  only  the  more  grievous, 
but  also  the  less  grievous  ;  and  this  is  done  by  the 
delights  of  the  aflfections  of  good  and  truth,  and  of 
justice  and  sincerity,  into  which  he  comes,  as  far  as 
he  regards  evils  as  sins,  and  therefore  shuns  and 
loathes  them  ;  and  still  more,  if  he  fights  against  them : 
these  are  the  means  by  which  the  Lord  purifies  all 
that  are  saved  ;  he  also  purifies  the  same  by  external 
means,  which  are  of  fame  and  honor,  and  sometimes 
of  gain  ;  but  still  in  these  are  inserted  by  the  Lord 
the  delights  of  the  affections  of  good  and  truth,  by 
which  they  are  directed  and  fitted,  so  that  they  may 
become  the  delights  of  the  love  of  the  neighbor.  If 
any  one  saw  the  delights  of  the  concnpiscences  of  evil 
at  the  same  time  in  any  form,  or  distinctly  perceived 
them  by  any  sense,  he  would  see  and  perceive  them 
in  such  number  that  they  could  not  be  defined;  for 
the  whole  hell  is  nothing  but  the  form  of  all  the  con- 
cupiscences of  evil,  and  no  concupiscence  of  evil  there 
is  altogether  like  to  or  the  same  as  another,  nor  can 
27 


314  ANGELIC    "WISDOM    CONCERNING 

one  be  given  altogether  like  to  or  the  same  as  an- 
other to  eternity;  and  concerning  these  innnmerable 
ones  man  scarcely  knows  anything,  still  less  how  they 
are  connected  ;  and  yet  it  is  continnally  permitted  by 
the  Lord,  throngh  His  Divine  Providence,  that  they 
should  go  forth,  to  the  end  that  they  may  be  with- 
drawn ;  which  is  done  in  all  order  and  series:  an 
evil  man  is  a  hell  in  the  least  form,  as  a  good  man 
is  a  heaven  in  the  least  form.  That  the  withdraw- 
ment  from  evils  is  done  by  the  Lord  in  a  thousand 
ways,  even  the  most  secret,  cannot  better  be  seen,  and 
thus  concluded,  than  from  the  secret  operations  of  the 
soul  in  the  body  :  those  concerning  which  man  knows, 
are  these;  that  he  looks  at  the  food  which  he  is  about 
to  eat,  perceives  it  by  the  smell,  has  an  appetite  for  it, 
tastes  it,  masticates  it  with  the  teeth,  turns  it  back  by 
the  tongue  into  the  oesophagus,  and  so  into  the  stom- 
ach ;  but  yet  the  secret  operations  of  the  soul,  concern- 
ing which  he  knows  nothing,  because  he  is  not  sensible 
of  them,  are  these;  that  the  stomach  rolls  round  the 
received  food,  opens  and  separates  it  by  solvents,  that 
is,  digests  it,  and  presents  suitable  parts  to  the  little 
ducts  opening  there  and  to  the  passages,  which  imbibe 
them ;  and  that  it  sends  off  some  into  the  blood,  some 
into  the  lymphatic  vessels,  some  into  the  lacteal  ves- 
sels of  the  mesentery,  and  lets  down  some  into  the 
intestines;  then  that  the  chyle,  drawn  up  from  its 
cistern  in  the  mesentery  through  the  thoracic  duct,  is 
brought  into  the  vena  cava,  and  so  into  the  heart,  and 
from  the  heart  into  the  lungs,  and  from  these  through 
the  left  ventricle  of  the  heart  into  the  aorta,  and  from 
this  through  the  branches  into  the  viscera  of  the  whole 
body,  and  also  into  the  kidneys,  in  each  of  which 
there  is  made  a  separation  and  purification  of  the 
blood,  and  a  withdrawment  of  things  heterogeneous  : 
to  say  nothing  as  to  how  the  heart  sends  up  its  blood, 
purified  in  the  lungs,  into  the  brain  ;  which  is  done  by 
the  arteries,  that  are  called  the  carotids  ;  and  how  the 
brain  sends  back  the  vivified  blood  into  the  vena  cava, 
mentioned  just  above,  where  the  thoracic  duct  brings 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  315 

in  the  chyle,  and  so  again  into  the  heart.  These, 
besides  innumerable  other  things,  are  the  secret  opera- 
tions of  the  soul  in  tlie  body  :  of  them  man  feels 
nothing,  and  he  who  is  not  skilled  in  the  science  of 
anatomy,  knows  nothing;  and  yet  the  like  things  are 
done  in  the  interiors  of  the  mind  of  man  ;  for  nothing 
can  be  done  in  the  body,  unless  thence;  for  the  mind 
of  man  is  his  spirit,  and  his  spirit  is  equally  a  man, 
with  the  only  difference,  that  the  things  which  are 
done  in  the  body  are  done  naturally,  and  the  things 
which  are  done  in  the  mind  are  done  spiritually: 
there  is  in  every  way  a  similarity.  From  these  things 
it  is  manifest  that  the  Divine  Providence  operates  in 
a  thousand  ways,  even  the  most  secret,  with  every 
man  ;  and  that  it  is  continual  in  the  end  of  purifying 
him,  because  it  is  in  the  end  of  saving  him;  and  that 
nothing  more  is  incumbent  upon  man,  but  to  remove 
evils  in  the  external  man  :  the  rest  the  Lord  provides, 
if  he  is  implored. 

297.  III.  That  the  evil  cannot  at  all  be  withdrawn 
from  their  evils  by  the  Lord,  and  be  led  hi  goods,  as 
long-  as  they  believe  that  their  own  intelligence  is  all, 
and  that  the  Divine  Providence  is  nothing.  It  appears 
as  if  man  could  withdraw  himself  from  evil,  provided 
he  thought  that  this  or  that  was  contrary  to  the  general 
good,  contrary  to  usefulness,  and  contrary  to  the  law 
of  the  nation  and  of  nations  :  this  the  evil  can  do  as 
well  as  the  good,  provided  he  is  such  from  birth  or  by 
exercise  that  inwardly  in  himself  he  can  distinctly  think 
analytically  and  rationally  ;  but,  however,  he  cannot 
still  withdraw  himself  from  evil:  the  reason  is,  be- 
cause the  faculty  of  understanding  and  perceiving 
things  abstractly  also  is  given  by  the  Lord  to  every 
one,  as  well  evil  as  good;  as  is  shown  above  through- 
out :  but  still  man  cannot  from  it  draAV  himself  away 
from  evil;  for  evil  is  of  the  will,  and  the  understand- 
ing does  not  flow  into  the  will,  except  only  with  light, 
and  illustrates  and  teaches  ;  and  if  the  heat  of  the 
will,  that  is,  the  life's  love  of  man,  is  fervid  from  the 
concupiscence  of  evil,  it  is  then  cold  as  to  the  affection 


316  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

of  good ;  wherefore  it  does  not  receive,  bat  either 
rejects  or  extinguishes  it,  or  by  some  invented  falsity- 
turns  it  into  evil :  this  takes  place  as  with  the  light  of 
winter,  which  is  equally  as  clear  as  is  the  light  of 
summer;  which,  flowing  into  the  cold  trees,  does  in 
hke  manner  :  but  these  things  may  be  more  fully  seen 
in  this  order.  1.  That  one's  own  intelligence,  when 
the  will  is  in  evil,  sees  nothing  but  falsity,  and  that  it 
neither  wishes  nor  can  see  anything  else.  2.  That  if 
one's  own  intelligence  then  sees  truth,  it  turns  itself 
away,  or  falsifies  it.  3.  That  the  Divine  Providence 
continually  makes  man  see  truth,  and  that  it  also 
gives  the  affection  of  perceiving  it,  and  also  of  receiv- 
ing it.  4.  That  man  is  thereby  withdrawn  from  evil, 
not  by  himself,  but  by  the  Lord. 

298.  But  that  these  may  appear  before  the  rational 
man,  whether  he  is  evil  or  good,  thus  whether  he  is 
in  wintry  light  or  in  summer  light,  for  colors  appear 
alike  in  both,  they  are  to  be  explained  in  their  order. 
First  :  That  one's  own  intelligence^  lohen  the  ivill  is  in 
evil,  sees  nothing  but  falsity  ;  and  that  it  neither  wishes 
nor  can  see  anything  else  :  this  is  often  shown  in  the 
spiritual  world  :  Every  man,  when  he  becomes  a  spirit, 
which  takes  place  after  death,  for  he  then  puts  oif  the 
material  body,  and  puts  on  a  spiritual  one,  is  let  alter- 
nately into  the  two  states  of  his  life,  the  external 
and  the  internal  :  while  he  is  in  the  external  state, 
he  speaks  and  also  acts  rationally  and  wisely,  alto- 
gether like  a  rational  and  wise  man  in  the  world, 
and  can  also  teach  others  many  things  which  are  of 
moral  and  civil  life ;  and  if  he  has  been  a  preacher, 
he  can  also  teach  the  things  which  are  of  spiritual 
life  ;  but  when  he  is  let  from  this  external  state  into 
his  internal  one,  and  the  external  one  is  lulled  to 
sleep  and  the  internal  one  is  waked  up,  then,  if  he  is 
evil,  the  scene  is  changed ;  from  rational  he  becomes 
sensual,  and  from  wise,  insane;  for  he  then  thinks 
from  the  evil  of  his  will  and  from  its  delight,  thus 
from  his  own  intelligence,  and  sees  nothing  but  falsity, 
and  does  nothing  but  evil,  believing  that  malice  is 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  317 

wisdom,  and  that  craftiness  is  prudence  ;  and  from  his 
own  inteUigence   he  beHeves   himself  a  divinity,  and 
with  his  whole  mind  draws  in  wicked  arts  :  such  insan- 
ities 1  have  many  times  seen  ;  and  also  that  they  were 
let  into  these  alternate  states  twice  or  thrice  within  an 
hour's  time,  and  then  it  was  given  them  to  see  their 
insanities,  and  also  to  acknowledge   them;    but  still 
they  did  not  wish  to  remain  in  the  rational  and  moral 
state,  but  turned  themselves  round  of  their  own  ac- 
cord into  their  sensual  and  insane  internal  state  ;  for 
they  loved   this  above  the  other,  because   the  delight 
of  their  life's  love  was  in  it.     Who  can   believe  that 
the  evil  man   is  such  within   his   face,   and   that   he 
undergoes    such    a    transformation,    when    he    comes 
within    it?     From   this  experiment  alone  it  may  be 
evident  what  one's  own  intelligence  is,  when  he  thinks 
and  acts  from  the  evil  of  his  will.     It  happens  other- 
wise with  the  good  :  they,  when  they  are  let  from  the 
external  state  into  the  internal,  become  still  wiser  and 
more  moral.     Secondly  :    That  if  one's   oivn   intelli- 
gence then  sees  the  truth^  it  either  turns  itself  mcay,  or 
falsifies  it.     Man  has  a  voluntary  proprium,  and  he 
has  an  intellectual  proprium:  the  voluntary  proprium 
is  evil,  and    the   intellectual   proprium   is  the   falsity 
thence  :  the  latter  is  understood  by  the  will  of  man, 
and  the  former  by  the  will  of  the  flesh,  John  i.  13. 
The  voluntary  proprium  is  in  its  essence  the  love  of 
self,  and  the  intellectual  proprium  is  the  pride  from 
that  love  :  these  two  are  like  two  consorts,  and  their 
marriage  is  called   the  marriage  of  evil  and  falsity  : 
into  this  marriage  every  evil  spirit  is  let,  before  he  is 
let  into  hell ;  and  when  he  is  in  it,  he  does  not  then 
know  what  good  is,  for  he  calls  his  evil  good,  for  he 
feels  it  as  delightful ;  and  he  then  also  turns  himself 
away  from  the  truth,  nor  wishes  to  see  it,  because  he 
sees  the  falsity  agreeing  with  his  evil,  as  the  eye  sees 
what  is  beautiful,  and  he  hears  it,  as  the  ear  hears 
what    is    harmonious.     Thirdly:    That    the    Divine 
Providence  continually  causes  man  to  see  truth,  and 
that  it  also  gives  the  affection  of  j^erceiving  it  and  of 
27# 


318  ANGELIC     WISDOM    CONCEKNING 

receiving  it.  This  is  done,  because  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence acts  from  tiie  interior,  and  ihrongh  it  flows  into 
the  exteriors,  or  from  the  spiritual  into  those  things 
which  are  in  the  natural  man,  and  by  the  light  of 
heaven  illuminates  the  understanding,  and  by  the  heat 
of  heaven  vivifies  the  will  :  the  light  of  heaven  in  its 
essence  is  divine  wisdom,  and  the  heat  of  heaven  in 
its  essence  is  divine  love;  and  from  the  divine  wisdom 
nothing  else  can  flow  in  but  truth,  and  from  the  divine 
Jove  nothing  else  can  flow  in  but  good  ;  and  from  the 
latter  the  Lord  gives  in  the  understanding  the  affection 
of  seeing  truth,  and  also  of  perceiving  and  receiving 
it :  thus  man  becomes  man,  not  only  as  to  the  external 
face,  bnt  also  as  to  the  internal.  Who  does  not  wish 
to  seem  as  a  rational  and  spiritual  man  7  and  who  does 
not  know  that  he  wishes  to  seem  so  that  it  may  be  be- 
lieved by  others  that  he  is  a  true  man  7  if  therefore  he  is 
only  rational  and  spiritual  in  the  external  form,  and  not 
at  the  same  time  in  the  internal,  is  he  a  man  7  is  he  any- 
thing else  than  as  an  actor  upon  the  stage,  or  as  an  ape 
which  has  a  face  almost  human?  can  he  not  hence 
know,  that  he  only  is  a  man,  who  is  interiorly  such  as 
he  wishes  to  seem  to  others?  he  who  acknovi^ledges 
the  one,  will  acknowledge  the  other.  One's  own  intel- 
ligence can  only  induce  the  human  form  upon  the 
externals;  but  the  Divine  Providence  induces  that 
form  upon  the  internals,  and  through  the  internals 
upon  the  externals  ;  and,  when  it  is  induced,  man 
does  not  appear  as  a  man,  but  is  a  man.  Fourthly: 
Tliftt  mem  is  thereby  withdrawn  from  evil,  not  by  hifm- 
seJf,  but  by  the  Lord.  That  when  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence gives  to  see  truth,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
affection  of  it,  man  can  be  withdrawn  from  evil,  is 
because  truth  points  out  and  dictates;  and  when  the 
will  does  it,  it  conjoins  itself  with  it,  and  turns  truth 
into  good  in  itself;  for  it  becomes  of  its  love  ;  and  that 
which  is  of  the  love,  is  good  :  all  reformation  is  made 
by  truth,  and  not  without  it;  for  without  truth  the 
will  is  continually  in  its  evil ;  and  if  it  consults  the 
understanding,  it  is  not  instructed,  but  evil  is  con- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  319 

firmed  by  falsities.  As  regards  intelligence,  it  appears 
as  his  and  his  own,  as  well  with  the  good  man  as  with 
the  evil  man  ;  and  also  the  good  is  eqnally  held  to  act 
from  intelligence  as  his  own,  jnst  as  the  evil  is  ;  bnt 
he  who  believes  in  the  Divine  Providence  is  with- 
drawn from  evil ;  bnt  he  who  does  not  believe,  is  not 
withdrawn;  and  he  believes  who  acknowledges  evil 
to  be  sin,  and  wishes  to  be  withdrawn  from  it;  and  he 
does  not  believe,  who  does  not  acknowledge  and  wish 
it :  the  ditference  between  these  two  intelligences  is 
as  between  that  which  is  believed  to  he  in  itself,  and 
that  which  is  believed  not  to  be  in  itself,  but  still  as  in 
itself;  and  it  is  also  as  between  an  external  without 
such  a  similar  internal,  and  an  external  with  a  similar 
internal  ;  thus  as  between  the  speech  and  gestures  of 
mimics  and  conjurers,  Avho  act  the  characters  of  kings, 
princes  and  generals,  and  the  kings,  princes  and  gene- 
rals themselves  :  the  latter  are  interiorly  and  at  the 
same  time  exteriorly  such  ;  but  the  former  only  exte- 
riorly ;  and  when  this  is  put  off,  they  are  called  come- 
dians, actors  and  players. 

299.  IV.  That  the  Lord  governs  hell  by  opposites, 
and  that  the  evil  who  are  in  the  xoorld  he  governs  in 
hell  as  to  interiors  and  not  as  to  exteriors.  He  who 
does  not  know  what  heaven  is  and  what  hell,  cannot 
at  all  know  what  the  mind  of  man  is  ;  the  mind  of 
man  is  his  spirit  which  lives  after  death  :  the  reason 
is,  because  the  mind  or  spirit  of  man  is  in  all  the  form 
in  which  heaven  is  or  hell ;  it  does  not  differ  in 
anything,  only  that  the  one  is  greatest  and  the  other 
least,  or  that  the  one  is  an  effigy  and  the  other  the 
type;  wherefore  man,  as  to  mind  or  spirit,  is  either  a 
heaven  or  a  hell  in  the  least  form  :  he  is  a  heaven, 
who  is  led  by  the  Lord  ;  and  he  is  a  hell,  who  is  led 
by  his  propriimi.  Now  because  it  has  been  given  me 
to  know  what  heaven  is,  and  what  hell  is,  and  it  is 
important  to  know  what  man  is,  as  to  his  mind  or 
spirit,  I  wish  to  describe  both  briefly. 

300.  All  who  are  in  heaven,  are  nothing  but  affec- 
tions of  good,  and  thence  thoughts  of  truth  ;  and  all 


320  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

who  are  in  bell,  are  nothing  but  concupiscences  of 
evil,  and  thence  imaginations  of  falsity  ;  which  are  so 
arranged  on  both  sides,  that  the  concupiscences  of 
evil  and  the  imaginations  of  falsity  in  hell  are  alto- 
gether opposite  to  the  affections  of  good  and  the 
thoughts  of  truth  in  heaven  ;  wherefore  hell  is  under 
heaven,  diametrically  opposite  to  it,  as  diametrically 
as  two  men  lying  opposite  to  each  other,  or  standing 
as  antipodes,  thus  inverted,  and  conjoined  as  to  the 
soles  of  the  feet,  and  treading  against  each  other  : 
sometimes  also  hell  appears  in  such  situation  or  turn- 
ing, in  respect  to  heaven  ;  the  reason  is,  because  they 
who  are  in  hell,  make  the  concupiscences  of  evil  the 
head,  and  the  afiections  of  good  the  feet ;  but  they 
who  are  in  heaven,  make  the  affections  of  good  the 
head,  and  the  concupiscences  of  evil  the  soles  of  the 
feet ;  hence  there  is  a  mutual  opposition.  It  is  said 
that  in  heaven  are  the  affections  of  good  and  thence 
the  thought  of  truth,  and  that  in  hell  are  the  concu- 
piscences of  evil  and  thence  the  imaginations  of  fal- 
sity; and  it  is  understood  that  it  is  the  spirits  and 
angels  who  are  such;  for  every  one  is  his  affection  or 
his  concupiscence  ;  an  angel  of  heaven  is  his  affection, 
and  a  spirit  of  hell  is  his  concupiscence. 

301.  That  the  angels  of  heaven  are  affections  of 
good  and  thence  thoughts  of  truth,  is  because  they  are 
recipients  of  divine  love  and  divine  wisdom  from  the 
Lord;  and  all  affections  of  good  are  from  the  divine 
love,  and  all  thoughts  of  truth  are  from  the  divine 
wisdom  :  but  that  the  spirits  of  hell  are  concupis- 
cences of  evil  and  thence  imaginations  of  falsify,  is 
because  they  are  in  the  love  of  self  and  in  their  own 
intelligence  ;  and  all  concupiscences  of  evil  are  from 
the  love  of  self,  and  all  imaginations  of  falsity  are 
from  one's  own  intelligence. 

302.  The  arrangement  of  the  affections  in  heaven, 
and  of  the  concupiscences  in  hell,  is  wonderful,  and 
known  to  the  Lord  alone :  they  are  distinguished  on 
both  sides  into  genera  and  species,  and  so  conjoined  as 
to  act  as  one  ;  and  because  they  are  distinguished  into 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  321 

genera  and  species,  they  are  distinguished  into  larger 
and  smaller  societies  ;  and  because  they  are  conjoined 
so  as  to  act  as  one,  they  are  conjoined  like  all  the  thijigs 
which  are  with  man  :  hence  heaven  in  its  form  is  like 
a  beautiful  man,  whose  soul  is  the  Divine  Love  and 
Divine  Wisdom,  thus  the  Lord  ;  and  hell  in  its  form 
is  like  a  monstrous  man,  whose  soul  is  the  love  of 
self  and  his  own  intelhgence,  thus  the  devil :  for  there 
is  not  any  devil,  who  alone  is  lord  there;  but  the  love 
of  self  is  so  called. 

303.  But  that  it  may  be  the  better  known  what 
heaven  is  and  what  hell  is,  instead  of  the  affections  of 
good  let  the  delights  of  good  be  taken,  and  instead  of 
the  concupiscences  of  evil  let  the  delights  of  evil  be 
taken  ;  for  there  is  not  given  affection  and  concupis- 
cence without  delights ;  for  these  make  the  life  of 
every  one  :  these  are  what  are  so  distinguished  and 
conjoined,  as  was  said  above  concerning  the  affections 
of  good  and  concerning  the  concupiscences  of  evil : 
the  delight  of  his  affection  fills  and  surrounds  every 
angel  of  heaven  ;  and  also  a  common  delight  fills  and 
surrounds  every  society  of  heaven  ;  and  the  delight 
of  all  at  the  same  time,  or  the  most  common,  the  uni- 
versal heaven  :  in  like  manner  the  delight  of  his  con- 
cupiscence fills  and  surrounds  every  spirit  of  hell ;  and 
a  common  delight,  every  society  of  hell ;  and  the 
delight  of  all,  or  the  most  common,  the  whole  hell. 
Since,  as  was  said  above,  the  affections  of  heaven  and 
the  concupiscences  of  hell  are  diametrically  opposite 
to  each  other,  it  is  manifest  that  the  delight  of  heaven 
is  such  an  undelight  in  hell,  that  they  do  not  bear  it; 
and,  on  the  contrary,  that  the  delight  of  hell  is  such 
an  undelight  in  heaven,  that  neither  do  they  bear  it : 
hence  is  antipathy,  loathing  and  separation. 

304.  These  delights,  because  they  make  the  life  of 
every  one  in  particular,  and  of  all  in  general,  are  not 
perceived  by  those  who  are  in  them,  but  the  opposites 
are  perceived  when  they  approach,  especially  when 
they  are  turned  into  smells;  for  every  delight  what- 
ever corresponds  to  a  smell,  and  can  be  converted  into 


322  ANGELIC    WISl^OM    CONCERNING 

it  in  the  spiritual  world  :  and  then  the  common  delight 
is  perceived  in  heaven  as  the  smell  of  a  garden,  with 
variety  according  to  the  fragrances  there  from  the 
flowers  and  fruits;  and  the  common  delight  in  hell  is 
perceived  as  stagnant  water  into  which  different  filths 
have  been  thrown,  with  variety  according  to  the  bad 
odor  from  the  rotten  and  stinking  things  therein.  But 
how  the  delight  of  every  aifection  of  good  in  heaven, 
and  the  delight  of  every  concupiscence  of  evil  in  hell, 
is  perceived,  it  has  also  been  given  to  know;  but  it 
would  be  tedious  to  explain  it  here. 

305.  I  have  heard  very  many  new-comers  from  the 
world  complaining  that  they  did  not  know  that  the  lot 
of  their  life  would  be  according  to  the  affections  of 
their  love  ;  saying  that  they  had  not  thought  concern- 
ing them  in  the  world,  still  less  concerning  their 
delights,  because  they  loved  that  which  was  delightful 
to  them;  and  that  they  only  believed  that  everyone 
had  his  lot  according  to  the  thoughts  from  intelligence ; 
especially  according  to  the  thoughts  from  piety,  and 
also  from  faith  :  but  it  was  answered  them,  that  they 
might  have  known  if  they  wished,  that  evil  of  life  is 
ungrateful  to  heaven  and  unpleasing  to  God,  and  grate- 
ful to  hell  and  pleasing  to  the  devil  ;  and  on  the  con- 
trary, that  good  of  life  is  grateful  to  heaven  and  pleasing 
to  God,  and  ungrateful  to  hell  and  unpleasing  to  the 
devil  ;  and  hence  also  that  evil  in  itself  stinks,  and 
good  in  itself  is  fragrant :  and  since  they  might  have 
known  this  if  they  would,  why  did  they  not  shun 
evils  as  infernal  and  diabolical?  and  why  did  they 
favor  them  for  the  sole  reason  because  they  were 
delightful?  and  because  they  now  know  that  the 
delights  of  evil  smell  so  foully,  they  may  also  know 
that  those  abounding  in  such  cannot  come  into  heaven. 
After  this  answer  they  betook  themselves  to  those  who 
were  in  like  delights,  because  there  they  could  breathe, 
and  not  elsewhere. 

306.  From  tlie  idea  of  heaven  and  hell  now  given, 
it  may  be  evident  what  the  hvmian  mind  is  ;  for,  as 
was  said,  the  mind  or  spirit  of  man  is  either  a  heaven 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  323 

or  a  hell  in  the  least  form ;  namely,  that  the  interiors 
of  it  are  mere  affections  and  thence  thoughts,  distin- 
guished into  genera  and  species,  as  if  into  larger  and 
smaller  societies,  and  conjoined  so  as  to  act  as  one  ; 
and  that  the  Lord  governs  them  in  like  manner  as  He 
governs  heaven  or  hell.  That  man  is  either  a  heaven 
or  a  hell  in  the  least  form,  may  be  seen  in  the  work 
concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  published  in  London  in 
the  year  1758,  n.  51  to  87. 

307.  Now  to  the  subject  proposed,  that  the  Lord 
governs  hell  by  opposites;  and  that  the  evil,  who  are 
in  the  world,  he  governs  in  hell  as  to  interiors,  and 
not  as  to  exteriors.  As  concerns  the  First  :  Tliat  the 
Lord  governs  hell  by  opposites :  it  was  shown  above, 
n.  288,  289,  that  the  angels  of  heaven  are  not  in  love 
and  wisdom,  or  in  the  affection  of  good  and  thence 
the  thought  of  truth,  from  themselves,  but  from  the 
Lord  ;  and  that  good  and  truth  flow  in  from  heaven 
into  hell ;  and  that  good  is  there  turned  into  evil,  and 
truth  into  falsity,  for  the  reason  that  the  interiors  of 
their  mind  are  in  a  contrary  turning  :  now  because 
all  things  of  hell  are  opposite  to  all  things  of  heaven, 
it  follows  that  the  Lord  governs  hell  by  opposites. 
Secondly  :  That  the  evil,  niho  are  in  the  ivorld,  the 
Lord  governs  in  hell,  is  because  man  as  to  his  spirit  is 
in  the  spiritual  world,  and  in  some  society  there  ;  in 
an  infernal  society,  if  he  is  evil;  and  in  a  heavenly 
society,  if  good  ;  for  the  mind  of  man,  which  in  itself 
is  spiritual,  cannot  be  elsewhere  than  among  the  spirit- 
ual, among  whom  also  he  comes  after  death  :  that  it  is 
so,  has  also  been  said  and  shown  above.  But  man  is 
not  there  as  a  spirit  who  is  inscribed  in  the  society, 
for  man  is  continually  in  a  state  of  reformation ; 
wherefore,  according  to  his  life  and  its  changes,  he  is 
transferred  by  the  Lord  from  one  society  of  hell  into 
another,  if  he  is  evil;  but  if  he  siifl^ers  himself  to  be 
reformed,  he  is  led  out  of  hell,  and  is  led  away  into 
heaven,  and  is  also  transferred  there  from  one  society 
to  another,  and  this  until  death  ;  after  which  he  is  no 
longer  carried  from  society  to  society  there ;  because 


324  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

he  is  then  no  longer  in  a  state  of  reformation,  but 
remains  in  that  in  which  he  is  according  to  hfe  : 
wherefore,  when  man  dies,  he  is  inscribed  in  his  place. 
Thirdly  :  That  tlie  Ijord  so  gover-ns  the  evil  in  the 
world  as  to  interiors,  hut  otherwise  as  to  exteriors :  the 
interiors  of  the  mind  of  man  tlie  Lord  governs  as  has 
now  been  said,  but  the  exteriors  in  the  world  of  spirits, 
which  is  the  middle  between  heaven  and  hell  :  the 
reason  is,  because  man  for  the  most  part  is  other  in 
externals  than  he  is  in  internals;  for  in  externals  he 
can  counterfeit  an  angel  of  light,  and  yet  in  internals 
be  a"  spirit  of  darkness;  wherefore  his  external  is 
governed  in  one  way,  and  his  internal  in  another; 
his  external  is  governed  in  the  world  of  spirits,  but 
his  internal  in  heaven  or  in  hell,  as  long  as  he  is  in 
the  world  ;  wherefore  also  when  he  dies,  he  first  comes 
into  the  world  of  spirits,  and  then  into  his  external ; 
and  this  is  put  off  there ;  being  rid  of  which,  he  is 
carried  to  his  place,  in  which  he  is  inscribed.  What 
the  world  of  spirits  is,  and  of  what  quality  it  is,  may 
be  seen  in  the  work  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell, 
published  at  London  in  the  year  1758,  n.  421  to  535. 


THAT  the  divine  PROVIDENCE  DOES  NOT  APPROPRIATE  EVIL 
TO  ANY  ONE  NOR  GOOD  TO  ANY  ONE,  BUT  THAT  HIS  OWN 
PRUDENCE  APPROPRIATES  BOTH. 

308.  It  is  believed  by  almost  every  one,  that  man 
thinks  and  wills  from  himself,  and  thence  speaks  and 
acts  from  himself:  who  can  believe  anything  else, 
while  he  believes  from  himself;  when  the  appearance 
that  it  is  so,  is  so  strong,  that  it  differs  in  nothing  from 
actually  thinking,  willing,  speaking  and  acting  from 
himself,  which  yet  cannot  be  given.  In  the  Angelic 
Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wis- 
dom, it  was  demonstrated  that  there  is  one  only  life, 
and  that  men  are  recipients  of  life :  also  that  the  will 
of  man  is  the  receptacle  of  love,  and  the  understand- 
ing of  man  is  the  receptacle  of  wisdom,  which  two  are 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  325 

that  only  life.     It  was   also  demonstrated,  that  it  is 
from  creation,  and  thence  from  the  Divine  Providence 
continually,  that  that  life  should  appear  in   man  in 
such  likeness  as  if  it  were  his,  just  as  if  his  own  ;  but 
that  this  is  an  appearance,  for  the  end  that  man  may 
be  a  receptacle.     It  was  also  demonstrated  above,  n. 
28"^  to  294,  that  no  man  thinks  from  himself,  but  from 
others ;    and  that  neither  do  others  from  themselves, 
but  all  from  God ;   thus  as  well  the  evil  as  tlie  good : 
also  that  this  is  known  in  the  christian  world,  espe- 
cially with  those  who  not  only  say,  but  also  believe, 
that  all  good  and  truth  is  from  the  Lord  ;  and  also 
that  all  wisdom,  thus  faith  and  charity,  are;  and  also 
that  all  evil  and  falsity  is  from  the  devil,  or  from  hell. 
From  all  these  things  no  other  conclusion  can  follow, 
than  that  all  which  man  thinks  and  wills,  flows  in  ;  and 
because  all  speech  flows  from  thought,  as.  an  effect  from 
its  cause,  and  in  like  manner  all  action  from  will,  that 
all   that  also  flows  in,  which  man  speaks    and  acts, 
although  derivatively  or  mediately  :    that  all  which 
man  sees,  hears,  smells,  tastes  and  feels,  flows  in,  can- 
not be  denied  ;   why  not  what  man  thinks  and  wills'? 
can  there  be  any  other  difference,  than  that  such  things 
as  are  in  the  natural  world  flow  into  the  organs  of 
the   external    senses    or  of  the  body,  and  that    such 
things  as    are  in  the    spiritual    world  flow    into    the 
organic   substances  of  the   internal  senses  or  of  the 
mind/  and  therefore  that  as  the  organs  of  the  external 
senses  or  of  the  body  are  the  receptacles  of  natural 
objects,  so  the  organic  substances  of  the  internal  senses 
or  of  the  mind  are  the  receptacles  of  spiritual  objects. 
Since  such  is  the  state  of  man,  what  then  is  his  pro- 
prium  7  for  his  proprium  is  not  that  it  is  such  or  such 
a  receptacle,   because  this   proprium  is  nothing   else 
than  his   quality  as  to  reception,   but   is  not    a  pro- 
prium of  life ;  for  by  proprium  nothing  else  is  under- 
stood by  any  one,  than   that  he  lives   from  himself, 
and    thence    thinks    and    wills    from    himself:    but 
that  this  proprium  is  not  with  man,  yea^  that  it  can- 
28 


326  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCEKNING 

not  be  given  with  any  one,  follows  from  the  things 
said  above. 

309.  But  I  will  relate  what  1  have  heard  from  some 
in  the  spiritual  world  ;  they  were  of  those  who  believed 
that  Olio's  own  prndeiice  is  all,  and  that  the  Divine 
Providence  is  nothing:  I  said  that  man  has  not  any 
proprium,  unless  yon  choose  to  call  it  his  propriiim, 
that  he  is  such  and  such  a  subject,  or  such  and  such 
an  organ,  or  such  and  such  a  form ;  but  this  is  not 
the  proprium  which  is  understood,  for  it  is  only 
quality;  but  that  no  man  has  any  proprium,  as  pro- 
prium is  commonly  understood :  they  who  ascribed 
all  things  to  their  own  prudence,  who  also  may  be 
called  proprietaries  in  their  image,  grew  so  angry, 
that  a  flame  appeared  from  their  nostrils  ;  saying,  You 
speak  things  paradoxical  and  insane  :  would  not  man 
thus  be  nothing  and  empty?  or  be  an  idea  and  a  fan- 
tasy? or  a  sculpture  or  statue?  but  I  could  answer  no 
otherwise,  than  that  it  was  paradoxical  and  insane  to 
believe  that  man  is  life  from  himself,  and  that  wisdom 
and  prudence  do  not  flow  in  from  God,  but  that  they 
are  in  man,  thus  also  good  which  is  of  charity  and 
truth  which  is  of  faith:  to  attribute  these  to  one's  self, 
is  called  insane  by  every  wise  man,  and  hence  also  it 
is  paradoxical :  and  moreover  they  are  like  those  who 
inhabit  the  house  and  possession  of  another,  and  when 
they  are  in  them,  persuade  themselves  that  they  are 
theirs;  or  like  stewards  and  managers,  who  believe 
that  all  their  master's  things  are  theirs  :  and  like  the 
administrative  servants,  to  whom  their  lord  gave  the 
talents  and  pounds  for  trading;  who  would  not  render 
an  account,  but  retained  them  as  theirs,  and  thus 
acted  as  thieves:  concerning  the  former  and  the  latter 
it  may  be  said,  that  they  are  insane ;  yea,  that  they 
are  of  naught  and  empty ;  also  that  they  are  idealists; 
because  good,  which  is  the  Being  itself  of  life,  they 
have  not  with  themselves  from  the  Lord,  thus  neither 
truth  ;  wherefore  such  are  also  called  dead,  and  also 
of  naught  and  empty,  Is.  xl.  17,  23 ;  and  elsewhere, 
the  formers  of  an  image,  also  sculptures  and  statues. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  327 

But  more  will  be  said  concerning  these  things  in  what 
follows,  which  will  be  examined  in  this  order.  1, 
What  one's  own  prudence  is,  and  what  prudence  not 
one's  own  is.  2.  That  man  from  his  own  prudence 
persuades  himself  and  confirms  with  himself,  that  all 
good  and  truth  is  from  himself  and  in  himself,  in  like 
manner  all  evil  and  falsity.  3.  That  everything 
persuaded  and  confirmed  remains  as  his  own  with 
man.  4.  That  if  man  believed,  as  is  the  truth,  that 
all  good  and  truth  is  from  the  Lord,  and  all  evil  and 
falsity  from  hell,  he  would  not  appropriate  good  to 
himself,  and  make  it  meritorious;  neither  would  he 
appropriate  evil  to  himself,  and  make  himself  guilty 
of  it. 

310.  I.  What  ones  own  prudence  is,  and  what 
prudence  not  ojies  oivn  is.  Those  are  in  their  own 
prudence,  who  confirm  appearances  with  themselves, 
and  make  them  truths  ;  especially  the  appearance, 
that  one's  own  prudence  is  all,  and  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence nothing,  unless  a  certain  universal,  which  yet 
cannot  be  given  without  particulars  from  which  it  is, 
as  was  shown  above  :  they  are  also  in  fallacies,  for 
every  appearance  confirmed  as  truth  becomes  a 
fallacy;  and  as  far  as  they  confirm  themselves  from 
fallacies,  so  far  they  become  naturalists,  and  so  far 
believe  nothing  else  but  what  they  can  at  the  same 
time  perceive  by  some  sense  of  the  body,  especially 
the  sense  of  sight,  because  this  chiefly  acts  as  one 
with  thought :  these  finally  become  sensual ;  and  if 
they  confirm  themselves  in  favor  of  nature  against 
God,  they  close  the  interiors  of  their  mind,  and  inter- 
pose as  it  were  a  veil,  and  afterwards  think  under 
the  veil,  nor  anything  which  is  above  it  :  these  sen- 
sual ones  were  called  by  the  ancients  serpents  of  the 
tree  of  science :  concerning  these  it  is  said  in  the 
spiritual  world,  that,  as  they  confirm  themselves,  so 
they  close  up  the  interiors  of  their  mind,  as  far  at 
length  as  the  nose ;  for  the  nose  signifies  the  perception 
of  truth,  and  that  [state]  none.  What  they  are,  shall 
now  be  said :    they   are  shrewd   and   crafty  above 


328  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

Others,  and  ingenious  reasoners,  and  call  shrewdness 
and  craftiness  intelligence  and  wisdom,  nor  do  they 
know  otherwise:  those  wlio  are  not  such,  they  regard 
as  simple  and  stupid;  especially  the  worshipers  of 
God,  and  confessors  of  the  Divine  Providence  :  as  to 
the  interior  principles  of  their  mind,  concerning  which 
they  know  little,  they  are  like  those  who  are  called 
Machiavelists,  who  make  murders,  adulteries,  thefts 
and  false  testimonies,  in  themselves  considered,  of  no 
account;  and  if  they  reason  against  them,  it  is  only 
from  prudence,  lest  they  should  appear  such.  Con- 
cerning the  life  of  man  in  the  world  they  think  no 
otherwise,  than  that  it  is  like  the  life  of  a  beast;  and 
concerning  the  life  of  man  after  death,  that  it  is  like 
a  vital  vapor,  which,  rising,  from  the  carcass  or  sepul- 
chre, relapses,  and  so  dies :  from  this  insanity  is  the 
idea  that  spirits  and  angels  are  airs,  and  with  those 
on  whom  it  is  enjoined  to  believe  in  eternal  life,  that 
the  souls  of  men  are  the  same,  and  thus  that  they  do 
not  see,  hear  and  speak,  and  therefore  that  they  are 
blind,  deaf  and  dimib;  and  that  they  only  think  in  a 
particle  of  their  air:  they  say.  How  can  the  soul  be 
anything  else?  did  not  the  external  senses  die  together 
with  the  body?  and  that  they  cannot  take  them  again 
before  the  soul  is  reunited  with  the  body  ;  and  because 
they  were  not  able  to  comprehend  the  state  of  the 
soul  after  death  otherwise  than  sensually  and  not 
spiritually,  they  have  established  this  state,  otherwise 
the  belief  concerning  eternal  life  would  have  perished. 
Especially  they  confirm  with  themselves  the  love  of 
self,  calling  it  the  fire  of  life,  and  the  incitement  to 
the  various  uses  in  the  kingdom  :  and  because  they  are 
such,  they  are  also  the  idols  of  themselves;  and  their 
thoughts,  because  they  are  fallacies  and  from  falla- 
cies, are  images  of  falsity :  and  because  they  favor 
the  delights  of  the  concupiscences,  they  are  satans 
and  devils  :  those  are  called  satans,  who  confirm  with 
themselves  the  concupiscences  of  evil,  and  devils, 
who  live  them.  What  the  most  crafty  sensual  men 
are,  it   has   also  been    given  to  know:    their  hell  is 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  329 

down  deep  behind,  and  they  wish  to  be  unseen; 
wherefore  they  appear  flying  about  there  hke  spectres, 
which  are  their  fantasies,  and  they  are  called  genii: 
some  were  once  sent  out  from  that  hell,  that  I  might 
know  what  they  were:  they  immediately  applied 
themselves  to  my  neck  under  the  occiput,  and  thence 
entered  into  my  affections;  not  wishing  to  enter  into 
my  thoughts,  which  they  dextrously  shunned,  and 
varied  my  affections,  one  after  another,  with  the 
mind  [anim2(s]  to  bend  them  into  the  opposite  ones, 
which  are  the  concupiscences  of  evil ;  and  because 
they  did  not  at  all  touch  my  thoughts,  they  would 
have  bent  and  inverted  them,  without  my  knowing, 
unless  the  Lord  had  averted  it.  Those  become  such, 
Avho  in  the  world  do  not  believe  that  anything  of 
Divine  Providence  is  given,  and  explore  nothing  else 
with  others  but  their  cupidities  and  desires,  and  thus 
lead  them  until  they  rule  over  them:  and  because 
they  do  this  so  clandestinely  and  craftily  that  the 
other  does  not  know  it,  and  they  become  like  them- 
selves after  death,  therefore  immediately  when  they 
come  into  the  spiritual  world,  they  are  cast  down  into 
that  hell :  seen  in  the  light  of  heaven,  they  appear 
without  a  nose;  and  what  is  wonderful,  although 
they  are  so  crafty,  still  they  are  sensual  above  the 
rest.  Since  the  ancients  called  a  sensual  man  a  ser- 
pent, and  such  a  man  is  shrewd,  crafty  and  an  inge- 
nious reasoner  above  others,  therefore  it  is  said,  Thai 
the  serpent  became  crafty  above  every  beast  of  the  Jield^ 
Gen.  iii.  1 :  and  the  Lord  says.  Be  ye  prudent  as 
serpents,  and  simple  as  doves,  Matt.  x.  16 ;  and  the 
dragon  too,  which  is  also  called  the  old  serpent,  the  devil 
and  satan,  is  described,  that  he  had  seven  heads,  and 
ten  horns,  and  upon  the  heads  seven  diadems,  Apoc. 
xii.  3,  9  :  by  the  seven  heads  is  signified  craftiness, 
and  by  the  ten  horns  is  signified  the  power  of  per- 
suading by  fallacies,  and  by  the  seven  diadems  are 
signified  the  holy  things  of  the  Word  and  of  the 
church  profaned. 

3n.  From  the  description  of  one's  own  prudence, 
28* 


330  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

and  of  those  wlio  are  in  it,  it  may  be  seen  what  pru- 
dence not  one's  own  is,  and  what  they  are  wlio  are 
in  it;  namely,  that  prudence  not  one's  own  is  the  pru- 
dence with  tliose  who  do  not  confirm  with  themselves, 
that  intelhgence  and  wisdom  are  from  man;  saying, 
How  can  one  be  wise  from  himself?  and  how  can 
one  do  good  from  himself  7  and  when  they  say  this, 
they  see  in  themselves  that  it  is  so;  for  they  think 
interiorly,  and  also  believe  that  others  think  in  like 
manner,  especially  the  learned;  because  they  do  not 
know  that  any  one  can  think  only  exteriorly.  They 
are  not  in  fallacies  by  any  confirmations  of  appear- 
ances; wherefore  they  know  and  perceive  that  mur- 
ders, adulteries,  thefts  and  false  testimonies  are  sins, 
and  therefore  shun  them :  also  that  malice  is  not 
wisdom,  and  that  craftiness  is  not  intelligence :  when 
they  hear  ingenious  reasonings  from  fallacies,  they 
wonder,  and  laugh  in  themselves ;  the  reason  is, 
because  with  them  there  is  not  a  veil  between  the 
interiors  and  exteriors,  or  between  the  spiritual  and 
natural  things  of  the  mind,  as  there  is  with  the 
sensual ;  wherefore  they  receive  influx  from  heaven, 
from  which  they  interiorly  see  such  things.  They 
speak  more  simply  and  sincerely  than  others,  and 
place  wisdom  in  life,  and  not  in  discourse  :  they  are 
comparatively  like  lambs  and  sheep,  when  those  who 
are  in  their  own  prudence  are  like  wolves  and  foxes; 
and  they  are  like  those  who  dwell  in  a  house,  and 
see  heaven  through  the  windows;  but  they  who  are 
in  their  own  prudence,  are  like  those  who  dwell  in 
the  foundation  of  a  house,  and  only  see  through  their 
windows  the  things  that  are  under  the  earth;  and 
they  are  like  those  who  stand  on  a  mountain,  and  .see 
those  who  are  in  their  own  prudence  as  wandering  in 
the  valleys  and  in  the  forests.  From  these  things  it 
may  be  evident  that  prudence  not  one's  own  is  pru- 
dence from  the  Lord,  in  like  appearance  as  one's  own 
prudence  in  externals,  but  in  an  altogether  difier- 
ent  one  in  internals;  in  internals  prudence  not  one's 
own  appears  in   the  spiritual   world   as  a  man;   but 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  331 

one's  own  prudence,  as  an  image  appearing  vital  from 
this  alone,  that  they  who  are  in  it  still  have  ration- 
ality and  liberty,  or  the  faculty  of  understanding 
and  willing,  and  thence  of  speaking  and  acting  ;  and 
that  by  these  faculties  they  can  counterfeit  that  they 
also  are  men  :  that  they  are  such  images,  is  because 
evils  and  falsities  are  not  alive,  but  only  goods  and 
truths;  and  because  they  know  this  from  their  rational- 
ity, for  if  they  did  not  know  they  would  not  counter- 
feit them,  they  possess  the  human  vital  in  their  images. 
Who  cannot  know  that  man  is  such  as  he  is  interiorly  7 
consequently  that  he  is  a  man,  who  interiorly  is  such 
as  he  wishes  to  seem  exteriorly  ;  and  that  he  is  an 
image,  who  is  only  exteriorly  a  man,  and  not  interi- 
orly: think  as  you  speak  for  God,  for  religion,  and 
for  justice  and  sincerity,  and  you  will  be  a  man ;  and 
then  the  Divine  Providence  will  be  your  prudence, 
and  you  will  see  among  others  that  one's  own  pru- 
dence is  insanity. 

312.  II.  That  man  from  his  own 'prudence 'persuades 
him,self,  and  confirms  with  himself^  that  all  good  and 
truth  is  from  himself  and  in  himself,  in  like  manner 
all  evil  and  falsity.  Let  there  be  made  an  argumen- 
tation by  analogy  between  natural  good  and  truth 
and  spiritual  good  and  truth:  it  is  asked,  What  is 
truth  and  good  in  the  sight  of  the  eye  ?  is  not  that  true 
therein  which  is  called  beautiful,  and  good  therein 
which  is  called  delightful?  for  delight  is  felt  from 
beautiful  sights:  what  is  truth  and  good  in  the  hear- 
ing? is  not  that  true  therein  which  is  called  harmoni- 
ous? and  is  not  that  good  therein  which  is  called  plea- 
sant? for  pleasure  is  felt  from  hearing  harmonies:  in 
like  manner  in  the  other  senses:  hence  it  is  manifest, 
what  natural  truth  and  good  are  :  let  it  be  weighed 
now,  what  spiritual  good  and  truth  are:  is  spiritual 
truth  anything  else  but  the  beauty  and  harmony  of 
spiritual  things  and  objects?  and  is  spiritual  good 
anything  else  but  the  delight  and  pleasantness  from  per- 
ceiving their  beauty  and  harmony  ?  Let  us  now  see, 
whether  any  other  thing  can  be  said  concerning  the 


332  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

one  than  concerning  the  other,  or  concerning  the  spir- 
itual than  concerning  the  natural  :  concerning  the 
natural  it  is  said,  that  tlie  heautiful  and  delightful  in 
the  eye  flow  in  from  objects,  and  that  the  harmonious 
and  pleasant  in  the  ear  flow  in  from  instruments : 
what  else  is  there  in  the  organic  substances  of  the 
mind?  concerning  the  latter  it  is  said  that  the  former 
are  in  them,  and  concerning  the  former  that  they  flow 
in;  but  if  it  is  asked  why  it  is  said  that  they  flow  in, 
no  other  answer  can  be  given,  than  that  there  is  an 
appearance  of  distance;  but  why  is  it  said  that  they 
are  in  1  no  other  answer  can  be  given  than  that  there 
is  not  an  appearance  of  distance  ;  consequently  that 
the  appearance  of  distance  is  what  causes  that  it  is 
believed  otherwise  concerning  the  things  which  man 
thinks  and  perceives,  than  concerning  those  which  he 
sees  and  hears :  but  this  fails,  when  it  is  known  that 
the  spiritual  is  not  in  distance  as  the  natural  is :  think 
concerning  the  sun  and  moon,  or  concerning  Rome 
and  Constantinople  ;  are  they  not  without  distance  in 
the  thought,  provided  that  thought  is  not  conjoined 
with  experience  acquired  by  the  sight  or  the  hearing? 
why  therefore  do  you  persuade  yourself,  that  because 
distance  does  not  appear  in  the  thought,  good  and 
truth,  as  also  evil  and  falsity,  are  in  it,  and  do  not  flow 
in  ?  I  will  add  this  experience,  which  is  common  in 
the  spiritual  world:  one  spirit  can  infuse  his  thoughts 
and  affections  into  another  spirit,  and  the  latter  does 
not  know  otherwise  than  that  it  is  of  his  own  thought 
and  affection:  this  is  there  called  thinking  from  an- 
other and  thinking  in  another  :  this  I  have  seen  a 
thousand  times,  and  have  also  done  it  a  hundred  ;  and 
yet  the  appearance  of  distance  was  striking :  but  as 
soon  as  they  knew  that  it  was  another  who  brought 
in  those  thoughts  and  affections,  they  were  indignant, 
and  turned  themselves  away  ;  acknowledging  how- 
ever that  the  distance  does  not  appear  in  the  internal 
sight,  or  the  thought,  unless  it  is  detected  as  in  the  ex- 
ternal sight,  or  the  eye;  and  that  hence  it  is  believed 
that  it  flows  in.  To  this  I  will  add  my  daily  experience: 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  333 

evil  spirits  have  very  often  injected  evils  and  falsities 
into  my  thought,  which  appeared  with  me  as  if  they 
were  in  me  and  from  me,  or  that  I  myself  thought  them; 
but  because  I  knew  that  they  were  evils  and  falsities, 
I  sought  who  injected  them ;  and  they  were  detected 
and  driven  of!',  and  were  at  a  remarkable  distance 
from  me.  From  these  things  it  may  be  evident,  that 
all  evil  with  its  falsity  flows  in  from  hell,  and  all  good 
with  its  truth  flows  in  from  the  Lord  ;  and  that  both 
appear  as  in  man. 

313.  What  they  are  who  are  in  their  own  pru- 
dence, and  what  they  are  who  are  in  prudence  not 
their  own,  and  hence  are  in  the  Divine  Providence,  is 
described  in  the  Word  by  Adam  and  his  wife  Eve  in 
the  garden  of  Eden,  where  were  the  two  trees,  the  one 
of  life  and  the  other  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil; 
and  by  their  eating  of  the  latter  tree :  tliat  by  Adam 
and  his  wife  Eve  in  the  internal  or  spiritual  sense  is 
understood  and  described  the  most  ancient  church  of 
the  Lord  on  this  earth,  noble  and  heavenly  above 
those  that  followed,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  241  :  by 
the  other  things  these  following  are  signified;  by  the 
garden  of  Eden  is  signified  the  wisdom  of  the  men  of 
that  church  ;  by  the  tree  of  life,  the  Lord  as  to  the 
Divine  Providence,  and  by  the  tree  of  knowledge,  man 
as  to  his  own  prudence ;  by  the  serpent,  the  sensual 
and  proprium  of  man,  which  in  itself  is  the  love  of 
self  and  the  pride  of  his  own  intelligence,  thus  the 
devil  and  satan ;  by  eating  of  the  tree  of  knowledge, 
the  appropriation  of  good  and  truth,  that  they  are  not 
from  the  Lord  and  hence  not  the  Lord's,  but  that  they 
are  from  man  and  lience  man's;  and  because  good 
and  truth  are  the  Divine  itself  with  man,  for  by  good 
is  understood  the  all  of  love,  and  by  triuh  the  all  of 
wisdom,  therefore  if  man  claims  them  to  himself  as 
his,  he  cannot  believe  otherwise  than  that  he  is  as 
God;  wherefore  the  serpent  said,  On  the  day  in  which 
ye  shall  eat  of  it.  your  eyes  shall  be  opened,  arid  ye 
shall  be  as  God,  knowing  good  and  evil,  Gen.  iii.  5 : 
thus  also  do  they  who  are  in  the  love  of  self,  and 


334  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

thence  in  the  pride  of  their  own  intelhgence  in  hell: 
by  the  condemnation  of  the  serpent  is  signified  the  con- 
demnation of  one's  own  love  and  one's  own  intelh- 
gence ;  by  the  condemnation  of  Eve  the  condemnation 
of  one's  own  voluntary,  and  by  the  condemnation  of 
Adam  the  condemnation  of  one's  own  intellectual ;  by 
the  thorn  and  tliistle,  which  the  earth  should  produce 
to  him,  is  signified  mere  falsity  and  evil;  by  the  ex- 
pulsion from  the  garden  is  signified  the  deprivation  of 
wisdom ;  by  the  guarding  of  the  way  to  the  tree  of 
life,  the  guardianship  of  the  Lord  lest  the  holy  things 
of  the  Word  and  of  the  church  should  be  violated  ;  by 
the  fig-leaves  with  which  they  covered  their  naked- 
ness, are  signified  moral  truths,  by  which  those  things 
are  veiled  which  are  of  their  love  and  pride;  and  by 
the  coats  of  skins,  with  which  they  were  afterwards 
clothed,  are  signified  the  appearances  of  truth,  in 
which  alone  they  are.  This  is  the  spiritual  under- 
standing of  those  things.  But  let  him  who  wishes, 
remain  in  the  literal  sense  ;  only  let  him  know,  that 
that  is  so  understood  in  heaven. 

314.  What  those  are  who  are  infatuated  from  their 
own  intelligence,  may  be  evident  from  their  imaginings 
in  matters  of  interior  judgment ;  for  example,  concern- 
ing influx,  concerning  thought,  and  concerning  life. 
Concerning  Influx  they  think  inversely,  as  that  the 
sight  of  the  eye  flows  into  the  internal  sight  of  the 
mind,  which  is  the  understanding,  and  that  the  hear- 
ing of  the  ear  flows  into  the  internal  hearing,  which 
also  is  the  understanding  ;  and  they  do  not  perceive 
that  the  understanding  from  the  will  flows  into  the  eye 
and  the  ear,  and  not  only  makes  those  senses,  but  also 
uses  them  as  its  instruments  in  the  natural  world  : 
but  because  this  is  not  according  to  the  appearance, 
they  do  not  perceive  it;  only  if  it  is  said,  that  the 
natural  does  not  flow  into  the  spiritual,  but  that  the 
spiritual  does  into  the  natural,  yet  they  then  still  think. 
What  is  the  spiritual,  but  a  purer  natural  7  also,  does 
it  not  appear  that  if  the  eye  sees  any  beautiful  thing, 
and  the  ear  hears  anything   harmonious,  the  mind, 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  335 

which  is  the  understanding  and  the  will,  is  delighted? 
not  knowing  that  the  eye  does  not  see  from  itself,  nor 
the  tongue  taste  from  itself,  nor  the  nostrils  smell  from 
themselves,  nor  the  skin  feel  from  itself;  but  that  it  is 
the  mind  or  spirit  of  man  which  perceives  these  things 
therein  by  the  sense,  and  is  affected  from  it  according 
to  its  quality  ;  but  still  that  the  mind  or  spirit  of  man 
does  not  feel  them  from  itself,  but  from  the  Lord ;  and 
that  to  think  otherwise  is  to  think  from  the  appear- 
ance, and  if  they  are  confirmed,  from  fallacies.  Con- 
cerning Thought,  they  say,  that  it  is  a  certain  modifi- 
cation in  the  air,  varied  according  to  the  objects,  and. 
amplified  according  to  culture  ;  thus  that  the  ideas 
of  the  thoughts  are  images,  appearing  in  the  air  like 
meteors  ;  and  that  the  memory  is  a  tablet  on  which 
they  are  impressed ;  not  knowing  that  the  thoughts 
are  in  substances  purely  organic,  equally  as  the  sight 
and  hearing  are  in  theirs:  let  them  only  look  at  the 
brain,  and  they  will  find  it  full  of  such  substances  : 
injure  them,  and  you  will  be  delirious;  and  destroy 
them,  and  you  will  die  :  but  what  thought  is,  and  what 
memory,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  279,  at  the  end.  Con- 
cerning Life,  they  know  no  other  than  that  it  is  a 
certain  activity  of  nature,  which  makes  itself  felt  in 
various  ways  ;  as  the  body,  that  it  lives,  and  moves 
itself  organically :  if  it  is  said  that  thus  nature  lives, 
they  deny  it,  but  say  that  nature  gives  to  live :  if  it  is 
said,  Is  not  the  life  then  dissipated,  when  the  body 
dies  ?  they  answer  that  the  life  remains  in  a  particle 
of  air,  which  is  called  the  soul:  if  it  is  said,  What 
then  is  God  ?  is  He  life  itself,  or  not?  to  these  things 
they  are  silent,  and  do  not  wish  to  tell  what  they 
think:  if  it  is  said.  Do  you  mean  that  the  Divine 
Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  are  life  itself?  they  answer, 
What  is  love,  and  what  is  wisdom  ?  for  in  their  falla- 
cies they  do  not  see  what  they  are,  nor  what  God  is. 
These  things  are  adduced  that  it  may  be  seen  how 
man  from  his  own  prudence  is  infatuated,  for  the  rea- 
son that  he  concludes  concerning  all  things  from 
appearances  and  hence  from  fallacies. 


336  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

316.  That  one's  own  prudence  persuades  and  con- 
firms tliat  all  good  and  truth  are  from  man  and  in 
man,  is  because  one's  own  prudence  is  man's  intellec- 
tual proprium  flowing  in  from  the  love  of  self,  which 
is  man's  voluntary  proprium  ;  and  proprium  cannot 
do  otherwise  than  make  all  things  its  own;  for  he 
cannot  be  elevated  from  it;  all  who  are  led  by  the 
Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  are  elevated  from  pro- 
prium, and  then  see  that  every  good  and  truth  is  from 
the  Lord  ;  yea,  they  also  see  that  that  which  is  from 
the  Lord  in  man  is  perpetually  the  Lord's,  and  never 
man's.  He  who  believes  otherwise,  is  like  him  who 
has  his  lord's  goods  deposited  with  him,  and  claims 
them  to  himself  or  appropriates  them  as  his,  who  is 
not  a  manager  but  a  thief;  and  because  the  proprium 
of  man  is  nothing  but  evil,  therefore  he  also  immerses 
them  in  his  evil,  from  which  they  would  be  consumed, 
as  pearls  thrown  into  dung  or  an  acid  liquor. 

317.  III.  That  ever-y  persuasion  and  confirmation 
remains  as  Ids  own  with  man.  It  is  believed  by  many, 
that  no  truth  can  be  seen  by  man,  unless  from  con- 
firmations ;  but  this  is  a  falsity  :  in  those  things  which 
are  the  civil  and  economical  matters  of  the  kingdom 
or  commonwealth,  the  useful  and  the  good  cannot  be 
seen,  unless  many  of  the  statutes  and  enactments 
therein  are  known ;  nor  in  matters  of  judicature, 
unless  the  laws  are  known  ;  nor  in  natural  things,  as 
in  physics,  chemistry,  anatomy,  mechanics  and  other 
things,  unless  a  man  is  imbued  with  the  sciences  : 
but  in  things  purely  rational,  moral  and  spiritual, 
truths  appear  from  their  very  light,  provided  man,  from 
a  right  education,  has  become  somewhat  rational, 
moral  and  spiritual :  the  reason  is,  because  every  man 
as  to  his  spirit,  which  is  what  thinks,  is  in  the  spirit- 
ual world,  and  one  among  those  there,  and  therefore 
in  spiritual  light,  which  illustrates  the  interiors  of  his 
understanding  and  as  it  were  dictates;  for  spiritual 
light  in  its  essence  is  the  divine  truth  of  the  divine 
wisdom  of  the  Lord  :  hence  it  is  that  man  can  think 
analytically,   conclude   concerning  the  just  and  the 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  337 

right  in  judgments,  and  see  the  honest  in  moral  Hfe, 
and  the  good  in  spiritual  {[{e;  and  also  many  truths, 
which  do  not  fall  into  darkness  unless  from  confirmed 
falsities  :  these  man  sees  comparatively  scarce  other- 
wise than  as  he  sees  the  mind  [rwiiiius]  of  another 
from  his  face,  and  perceives  his  affections  from  the 
sound  of  his  speech,  without  any  other  science  than 
what  is  implanted  in  every  one  :  why  should  not  man 
in  some  degree  see  from  influx  the  interiors  of  his  life, 
which  are  spiritual  and  moral,  when  there  is  no  ani- 
mal that  does  not  from  influx  knovir  its  necessaries, 
which  are  natural  7  a  hird  knows  how  to  make  nests, 
lay  eggs,  hatch  young  ones,  and  knows  its  food; 
besides  other  wonderful  things,  which  are  called 
instinct. 

318.  But  how  the  state  of  man  is  changed  from 
confirmations  and  thence  persuasions,  shall  now  be 
said,  but  in  this  order.  1.  That  there  is  nothing 
which  cannot  be  confirmed,  and  falsity  more  than  the 
truth.  2.  That  the  truth  does  not  appear  from  the 
confirmation  of  falsity,  but  that  from  the  confirma- 
tion of  the  truth  falsity  does  appear.  3.  That  to  be 
able  to  confirm  whatever  one  pleases,  is  not  intelli- 
gence, but  only  ingenuity,  given  even  with  the  worst. 
4.  That  there  is  given  intellectual  confirmation  and 
not  at  the  same  time  voluntary,  but  that  all  voluntary 
confirmation  is  also  intellectual.  5.  That  voluntary 
and  at  the  same  time  intellectual  confirmation  of  evil 
causes  man  to  believe  his  own  prudence  to  be  all,  and 
the  Divine  Providence  nothing;  but  not  intellectual  con- 
firmation alone.  6.  That  everything  confirmed  from 
the  will  and  at  the  same  time  the  understanding  re- 
mains to  eternity,  but  not  that  which  is  only  confirmed 
by  the  understanding.  As  regards  the  First:  That 
there  is  nothing  mhich  cannot  he  confirmed,  and  that  f ah 
sity  call  more  than  the  triith:  what  cannot  be  confirmed, 
when  it  is  confirmed  by  atheists,  that  God  is  not  the 
Creator  of  the  universe,  but  that  nature  is  the  creatrix 
of  herself;  that  religion  is  only  a  bond,  and  for  the 
simple  and  the  common  people ;  that  man  is  like  a 
29 


330  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

beast,  and  that  he  dies  in  like  manner:  when  it  is  con- 
firmed that  adnlteries  are  allowable;  in  like  manner 
clandestine  thefts,  frands,  and  deceittiil  machinations  ; 
that  craftiness  is  intelligence,  and  malice  wisdom  : 
who  does  not  confirm  his  heresy?  are  there  not  vol- 
umes full  of  confirmations  in  favor  of  the  two  reigning 
ones  in  the  christian  world?  make  ten  heresies,  even 
abstruse,  and  tell  an  ingenious  one  to  confirm  them; 
and  he  will  confirm  them  all  :  if  you  then  see  them 
only  from  the  confirmations,  will  you  not  see  falsities 
as  truths?  Since  all  falsity  shines  in  the  natural  man 
from  its  appearances  and  fallacies,  and  not  the  truth, 
except  in  the  spiritual  man,  it  is  manifest,  that  falsity 
can  be  confirmed  more  than  the  truth.  That  it  may 
be  known  that  all  falsity  and  all  evil  can  be  confirmed 
so  that  falsity  may  appear  as  truth,  and  evil  as  good, 
suppose  an  example  :  let  it  be  confirmed  that  light  is 
darkness  and  darkness  light :  can  it  be  said  what  light 
in  itself  is?  is  it  aught  but  something  appearing  in  the 
eye  according  to  its  state?  what  light  has  a  closed 
eye?  have  not  bats  and  owls  such  eyes?  do  they  not 
see  light  as  darkness,  and  darkness  as  light?  I  have 
heard  concerning  some,  that  they  saw  in  like  manner; 
and  concerning  the  infernals,  that  although  they  are 
in  darkness,  still  they  see  each  other  :  does  not  a  man 
have  light  in  dreams  at  midnight?  thus  is  not  dark- 
ness light,  and  light  darkness  ?  but  it  may  be  an- 
swered, What  is  this?  light  is  light  as  truth  is  truth, 
and  darkness  is  darkness  as  falsity  is  falsity.  Take 
another  example  :  let  it  be  confirmed  that  a  crow  is 
white  :  can  it  not  be  said,  his  darkness  is  only  a  shade, 
which  is  not  his  real  quality  :  are  his  feathers  white 
within?  and  his  body  in  like  manner?  these  are  the 
substances  from  which  he  is  :  because  his  blackness 
is  a  shade,  therefore  a  crow  grows  white  when  he  be- 
comes old ;  such  are  seen  :  what  is  black  in  itself  but 
white?  grind  up  black  glass,  and  you  will  see  that  the 
dust  is  white  ;  wherefore,  when  you  call  a  crow  black, 
you  speak  according  to  shade,  and  not  according  to 
reahty  :  but  it  may  be  answered,  What  is  this  ?  thus 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  339 

all  birds  would  be  called  white.  Although  these 
things  are  contrary  to  sound  reason,  they  are  adduced 
that  it  may  be  seen  that  falsity  altogether  opposite  to 
the  truth,  and  evil  altogether  opposite  to  good,  can  be 
confirmed.  Secondly  :  Tltat  the  truth  does  not  appear 
from  the  confirviat'wn  of  falsity,  but  that  from  the  con- 
firmation of  the  truth  falsity  does  appear:  ail  falsity 
is  in  darkness,  and  all  truth  is  in  light;  and  in  dark- 
ness nothing  appears;  yea,  it  is  not  known  what  it  is, 
except  by  feeling:  it  is  otherwise  in  the  light :  where- 
fore also  in  the  Word  falsities  are  called  darkness, 
and  hence  they  who  are  in  falsities  are  said  to  walk 
in  darkness  and  in  the  shadow  of  death ;  and,  on  the 
contrary,  truths  are  there  called  light,  and  hence  they 
who  are  in  truths  are  said  to  walk  in  the  light,  and 
are  called  sons  of  the  light.  That  the  truth  does 
not  appear  from  confirmed  falsity,  and  that  from  con- 
firmed truth  falsity  does  appear,  is  manifest  from 
many  things:  as,  who  would  see  any  spiritual  truth, 
unless  the  Word  taught  it  7  would  there  not  be  mere . 
thick-darkness,  which  could  not  be  dispelled,  except 
by  the  light  in  which  the  Word  is,  and  except  with 
him  who  wishes  to  be  illustrated?  what  heretic  can. 
see  his  falsities,  unless  he  admits  the  genuine  truth 
of  the  church?  before,  he  does  not  see  it:  I  have 
spoken  with  those  who  have  confirmed  themselves  in 
faith  separate  from  charity  ;  and  being  asked  whether 
they  saw  the  many  things  in  the  Word  concerning 
love  and  charity,  concerning  works  and  deeds,  con- 
cerning keeping  the  commandments,  and  that  the 
blessed  and  wise  is  he  who  does  them,  and  the  foolish 
he  who  does  not,  they  said  that  when  they  read  those 
things,  they  did  not  see  otherwise  than  that  they  were 
faith,  and  thus  they  passed  them  by  as  with  their  eyes 
shut.  They  who  have  confirmed  themselves  in  falsi- 
ties, are  like  those  who  see  scratches  on  the  wall  of  a 
house,  and  when  they  are  in  the  shade  of  evening, 
they  see  the  roughness  in  fantasy  as  a  horse  or  a  man  ; 
which  visionary  image  is  dissipated  by  the  light  of 
day  flowing  in.     Who  can  feel  the  spiritual  unclean- 


340  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

ness  of  adultery,  except  he  who  is  in  the  spiritual 
cleanness  of  chastity?  who  can  feel  the  cruelty  of 
revenge,  except  he  who  is  in  good  from  the  love  of 
the  neighbor?  what  adulterer  and  what  one  eager  for 
revenge  does  not  scoff  at  those  who  call  the  delights 
of  those  things  infernal,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
delights  of  conjugial  love  and  of  the  love  of  the  neigh- 
bor heavenly?  and  soon.  Thirdly:  That  to  be  able 
to  confirm  whatever  one  pleases,  is  not  intelligence,  but 
only  ingemiiiy^  given  even  with  the  worst:  there  are 
given  most  dexterous  confirmers,  who  do  not  know  any 
truth,  and  still  can  confirm  both  the  truth  and  falsity; 
and  some  of  them  say.  What  is  truth?  is  there  any? 
is  not  tliat  truth  which  I  make  truth?  and  still  these 
are  believed  in  the  world  to  be  intelligent ;  and  yet  they 
are  nothing  but  incrusters  of  house- walls:  no  otliers 
are  intelligent,  but  those  who  perceive  the  truth  to  be 
the  truth,  and  confirm  it  by  truths  continually  per- 
ceived :  the  latter  and  the  former  can  be  little  distin- 
guished, because  it  can  hardly  be  distinguished  be- 
tween the  light  of  confirmation  and  the  light  of  the 
perception  of  truth  ;  nor  does  it  appear  otherwise  than 
that  they  who  are  in  the  light  of  confirmation,  are 
also  in  the  light  of  the  perception  of  truth  ;  when  yet 
the  difference  is  as  between  fatuous  light  and  genuine 
light ;  and  fatuous  light  in  the  spiritual  world  is  such, 
that  it  is  turned  into  darkness  when  genuine  light 
flows  in  :  such  fatuous  light  is  with  many  in  hell,  who, 
when  they  are  let  out  into  genuine  light,  see  altogether 
nothing  :  from  which  it  is  manifest,  that  to  be  able 
to  confirm  whatever  one  pleases,  is  only  ingenuity, 
given  even  with  the  worst.  Fourthly  :  That  there  is 
given  intellectiial  confirmation  and  not  at  the  same  time 
voluntary,  and  that  all  voluntary  conJirm,ation  is  also 
intellectual:  let  examples  be  for  illustration  :  they  who 
confirm  faith  separate  from  charity,  and  still  live  a 
life  of  chanty,  in  general,  those  who  confirm  falsity 
of  doctrine,  and  yet  do  not  live  according  to  it,  are 
they  who  are  in  intellectual  confirmation,  and  not  at 
the  same  time  in  voluntary  confirmation  :  but  those 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  341 

who  confirm  falsity  of  doctrine,  and  live  according  to 
it,  are  they  who  are  in  voluntary  confirmation  and  in 
intellectual  at  the  same  time  :  the  reason  is,  because 
the  understanding  does  not  flow  into  the  will,  but  the 
will  into  the  understanding.  From  these  things  it  is 
also  manifest  what  falsity  of  evil  is,  and  vvhat  falsity 
not  of  evil  is  ;  that  falsity  not  of  evil  may  be  conjoin- 
ed with  good,  but  not  falsity  of  evil  :  the  reason  is, 
because  falsity  not  of  evil  is  falsity  in  the  understand- 
ing and  not  in  the  will,  and  falsity  of  evil  is  falsity  in 
the  understanding  from  evil  in  the  will.  Fifthly  : 
That  voluntary  and  at  the  same  time  mtellectual  con- 
firmation of  evil  causes  man  to  believe  his  own  'pru- 
dence to  he  all,  and  the  Diinne  Providence  nothing ; 
but  not  intellectual  confirmation  alone.  There  are 
many  who  confirm  their  own  prudence  with  them- 
selves from  appearances  in  the  world,  but  still  do  not 
deny  the  Divine  Providence;  these  have  only  intel- 
lectual confirmation  :  but  they  who  at  the  same  time 
deny  the  Divine  Providence,  have  also  voluntary  con- 
firmation :  but  this,  together  with  persuasion,  is  chiefly 
with  those  who  are  worshipers  of  nature  and  at  the 
same  time  worshipers  of  self  Sixthly:  That  every- 
thing confirmed  by  the  will  and  at  the  same  time  by  the 
understanding  remains  to  eternity,  but  not  that  which 
is  only  confirmed  by  the  binder  standing :  for  that 
which  is  of  the  understanding  alone,  is  not  in  man, 
but  is  out  of  him;  it  is  only  in  the  thought;  and 
nothing  enters  the  man,  and  is  appropriated  to  hira, 
except  what  is  received  by  the  will ;  for  this  becomes 
of  his  life's  love  :  that  this  remains  to  eternity,  will 
be  said  in  the  number  now  following. 

319.  That  everything  confirmed  by  the  will  and  at 
the  same  time  by  the  understanding,  remains  to  eter- 
nity, is  because  every  one  is  his  love,  and  the  love 
is  of  his  will ;  also  because  every  man  is  his  good 
or  his  evil,  for  all  that  is  called  good  which  is  of 
the  love  ;  in  like  manner  evil.  Since  man  is  his  love, 
he  is  also  the  form  of  his  love,  and  may  be  called  the 
organ  of  his  life's  love.  It  was  said  above,  n.  279, 
29* 


342  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

that  the  affections  of  love  and  thence  the  thoughts  o{ 
man  are  changes  and  variations  of  the  state  and  form 
of  the  organic  substances  of  his  mind  ;  it  shall  now 
be  told,  what  and  of  what  quality  those  changes  and 
variations  are  :  an  idea  of  them  may  be  got  from  the 
heart  and  lungs,  where  there  are  alternate  expansions 
and  compressions,  or  dilations  and  contractions,  which 
in  the  heart  are  called  the  systole  and  diastole,  and  in 
the  lungs  respirations ;  which  are  reciprocal  exten- 
sions and  retractions,  or  distensions  and  indrawings 
of  its  lobes  :  these  are  the  changes  and  variations  of 
the  state  of  the  heart  and  lungs  :  the  like  are  given  in 
the  rest  of  the  viscera  of  the  body,  and  also  very  like 
ones  in  their  parts,  by  which  the  blood  and  animal 
juice  are  received  and  carried  forward.  The  like  are 
also  given  in  the  organic  forms  of  the  mind,  which 
are  the  subjects  of  man's  affections  and  thoughts,  as 
was  shown  above ;  with  the  difference,  that  the 
expansions  and  compressions,  or  the  reciprocations^ 
of  these,  are  in  such  superior  perfection  comparatively, 
that  they  cannot  be  expressed  by  the  words  of  natural 
language,  but  only  by  the  words  of  spiritual  language, 
which  cannot  otherwise  be  sounded,  than  that  they 
are  vorticillary  ingyrations  and  egyrations,  after  the 
manner  of  perpetual  and  inflected  helixes,  wonder- 
fully bundled  together  into  forms  receptive  of  life. 
But  of  what  quality  these  purely  organic  substances 
and  forms  are  with  the  evil,  and  of  what  quality  with 
the  good,  shall  now  be  told  :  with  the  good  they  are 
spiraled  forwards,  but  with  the  evil  backwards;  and 
those  which  are  spiraled  forwards,  are  turned  to  the 
Lord,  and  receive  influx  from  Him  ;  but  those  which 
are  spiraled  backwards,  are  turned  to  hell,  and  receive 
influx  thence  :  it  is  to  be  known,  that  as  far  as  they 
are  turned  backwards,  so  far  they  are  opened  behind, 
and  closed  before  ;  and,  on  the  contrary,  as  far  as  they 
are  turned  forward,  so  far  they  are  opened  before,  and 
closed  behind.  From  these  things  it  may  be  evident, 
what  kind  of  form  or  what  kind  of  organ  an  evil  man 
is,  and  what  kind  of  form  or  what  kind  of  organ  a 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  343 

good  man  is  ;  that  they  are  in  contrary  turning ;  and 
because  a  turning  once  induced  cannot  be  twisted  back 
again,  it  is  manifest  that  such  as  it  is  when  he  dies, 
such  it  remains  to  eternity  :  it  is  the  love  of  man's 
will  which  makes  thai  turning,  or  which  converts 
and  inverts  ;  for,  as  was  said  above,  every  man  is  his 
love  :  hence  it  is,  that  every  one  after  death  goes  the 
way  of  his  love  ;  he  who  is  in  good  love  to  heaven, 
and  he  who  is  in  evil  love  to  hell ;  nor  does  he  rest, 
until  he  is  in  that  society  where  his  reigning  love  is ; 
and  what  is  wonderful,  every  one  knows  the  way  ;  it 
is  as  if  he  smelt  it  with  his  nostrils. 

320.  IV.  That  if  man  believed.,  as  is  the  truth,  thai 
all  good  and  truth  are  from  the  Lord,  and  all  evil  and 
falsity  from  hell,  he  ivould  not  appropriate  good  to  him- 
self, and  make  it  vneritorions,  nor  voiild  he  approjyriate 
evil  to  himself,  and  inake  himself  guilty  of  it.  But 
because  these  things  are  contrary  to  the  belief  of  those 
who  have  confirmed  with  themselves  the  appearance 
that  wisdom  and  prudetice  are  from  man,  and  do  not 
flow  in  according  to  the  state  of  the  organization  of  tfieir 
mind,  concerning  which  just  above,  n.  319,  therefore 
they  are  to  be  demonstrated  ;  which,  that  it  may  be 
done  distinctly,  shall  be  in  this  order.  1.  That  he 
who  confirms  with  himself  the  appearance  that  wis- 
dom and  prudence  are  from  man,  and  hence  in  him  as 
his,  cannot  see  anything  else  but  that  he  otherwise 
would  not  be  man,  but  either  a  beast,  or  a  sculpture  ; 
when  yet  it  is  the  contrary.  2.  That  to  believe  and 
think,  as  is  the  truth,  that  all  good  and  truth  is  from 
the  Lord,  and  all  evil  and  falsity  from  hell,  appears  as 
if  impossible,  when  yet  it  is  truly  human  and  thence 
angelic.  3.  That  to  believe  and  think  so  is  impossible 
to  those  who  do  not  acknowledge  the  Divine  of  the 
Lord,  and  who  do  not  acknowledge  evils  to  be  sins; 
but  that  it  is  possible  to  those  who  acknowledge  these 
two  things.  4.  That  they  who  are  in  these  two  ac- 
knowledgments only  reflect  upon  the  evils  with  them- 
selves, and  reject  them  from  themselves  to  hell, 
whence  they  are,  as  far  as  they  shun  and  loathe  them 


344  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

as  sins.  5.  That  thus  the  Divine  Providence  does  not 
appropriate  evil  to  any  one,  nor  good  to  any  one,  but 
that  his  own  prudence  appropriates  both. 

321.  Bui  these  shall  be  explained  in  the  order  pro- 
posed. First  :  That  lie  loho  confirins  with  himself 
the  appearance  that  ivisdoni  and  prudence  are  from 
man  and  in  7na?i  as  his,  ca7inot  see  anything  else  but 
that  he  otherwise  would  not  he  man,  hut  either  a  beast^ 
or  a  sculpture  ;  when  yet  it  is  the  contrary.  It  is  from 
a  law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  man  should 
think  as  from  himself,  and  that  he  should  act  pru- 
dently as  from  himself,  but  that  he  should  still  ac- 
knowledge that  it  is  from  the  Lord  :  hence  it  follows, 
that  he  who  thinks,  and  acts  prudently,  as  from  him- 
self, and  at  the  same  time  acknowledges  that  it  is 
from  the  Lord,  is  a  man  ;  but  not  lie  who  confirms 
with  himself,  that  all  that  he  thinks  and  that  he  does 
is  from  himself;  nor  he  too,  who,  because  he  knows 
that  wisdom  and  prudence  are  from  God,  still  waits 
for  influx  ;  for  the  latter  becomes  like  a  sculpture,  and 
the  former  like  a  beast :  that  he  who  waits  for  influx, 
is  like  a  sculpture,  is  manifest ;  for  he  must  stand  or 
sit  motionless,  with  the  hands  hanging  down,  the  eyes 
either  shut  or  open  without  winking,  not  thinking  and 
not  being  animate;  what  then  of  life  has  he?  That 
he  who  believes  that  all  things  which  he  thinks  and 
does,  are  from  himself,  is  not  unlike  a  beast,  is  also 
manifest ;  for  he  thinks  only  from  the  natural  mind, 
which  man  has  in  common  with  the  beasts,  and  not 
from  the  spiritual  rational  mind,  which  is  the  truly 
human  mind  ;  for  this  mind  acknowledges  that  God 
alone  thinks  from  himself,  and  man  from  God  ;  where- 
fore also  such  an  one  knows  no  other  diflerence 
between  a  man  and  a  beast  than  that  man  speaks  and 
a  beast  makes  sounds,  and  believes  that  both  die  alike. 
Concerning  those  who  wait  for  influx  something  shall 
still  be  said  :  they  do  not  receive  any,  except  a  few 
who  desire  it  from  the  heart ;  these  sometimes  receive 
a  kind  of  answer  by  a  living  perception  in  thought,  or 
by  a  tacit  speech  in  it,  and  rarely  by  a  manifest  one; 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  345 

and  then  it  is  this,  that  they  sliould  think  and  act  as 
they  wish  and  as  they  are  able,  and  that  he  who  acts 
wisely  is  wise,  and  he  who  acts  foolishly  is  foolish  ; 
and  they  are  never  instructed  what  they  should 
believe  aud  what  they  should  do  ;  aud  this  for  this 
reason,  lest  the  human  rational  and  freedom  should 
perish,  which  is,  that  every  one  should  act  from  free- 
dom according  to  reason,  with  all  appearance  as  from 
himself  They  who  are  instructed  by  influx  what 
they  should  believe  or  what  they  should  do,  are  not 
instructed  by  the  Lord,  nor  by  any  angel  of  heaven, 
but  by  some  enthusiastic,  Quakerish,  or  Moravian 
spirit,  and  are  seduced.  All  influx  from  the  Lord 
takes  place  by  illustration  of  the  understanding,  and 
by  the  afl'ection  of  truth,  and  by  the  latter  into  the 
former.  Secondly  :  That  to  believe  and  think^  as  is 
the  truth,  that  all  good  and  truth  are  from  the  Lord., 
and  all  evil  and  falsity  from  hell,  appears  as  impossi- 
ble ;  when  yet  it  is  truly  human  and  thence  angelic. 
To  believe  and  think  that  all  good  and  truth  is  from 
God,  appears  possible,  provided  nothing  farther  is 
said  ;  the  reason  is,  because  it  is  according  to  the  the- 
ological belief,  contrary  to  which  it  is  not  allowed  to 
think  :  but  to  believe  and  think  that  all  evil  and  fal- 
sity are  from  hell,  appears  impossible,  because  it  would 
thus  also  be  believed  that  man  can  think  nothing  ;  but 
still  man  thinks  as  from  himself,  although  from  hell, 
because  the  Lord  gives  to  every  one,  that  thought, 
whencesoever  it  is,  should  appear  in  him  as  liis  ;  other- 
wise man  would  not  live  a  man,  nor  could  be  led  out 
of  hell,  and  be  introduced  into  heaven,  that  is,  be 
reformed  ;  as  has  been  shown  in  many  places  above  : 
wherefore  also  the  Lord  gives  to  man  to  know  and 
thence  to  think  that  he  is  in  hell  if  in  evil,  and  that 
he  thinks  from  hell  if  from  evil ;  and  also  gives 
to  think  of  means  how  he  may  get  out  of  hell, 
and  not  think  from  it,  but  come  into  heaven  and 
there  think  from  the  Lord ;  and  also  gives  man 
freedom  of  choice :  from  which  things  it  may  be 
seen,  that  man  can  think  evil  and  falsity  as  from  him- 


346  ANGELIC  WISDOM  CONCERNING 

self,  and  also  think  that  this  and  that  are  evil  and 
false  ;  and  therefore,  that  it  is  from  himself  is  only  an 
appearance,  without  which  man  would  not  be  man. 
The  human  itself,  and  hence  the  angelic,  is  to  think 
from  the  truth  ;  and  this  is  the  truth,  that  man  does 
not  think  from  himself,  but  that  it  is  given  him  to 
think  from  the  Lord,  in  all  appearance  as  from  him- 
self. Thirdly  :  That  to  believe  and  think  so  is  impos- 
sible to  those  who  do  not  acknowledge  the  Divine  of  the 
JLord^  and  who  do  not  acknowledge  evils  to  be  sins ; 
and  that  it  is  possible  to  those  rvho  acknowledge  these 
two  things.  That  it  is  impossible  to  those  who  do  not 
acknowledge  the  Divine  of  the  Lord,  is  because  the 
Lord  alone  gives  man  to  think  and  will ;  and  they 
who  do  not  acknowledge  the  Divine  of  the  Lord,  being 
disjoined  from  Him,  believe  that  they  think  from 
themselves  :  that  it  is  also  impossible  to  those  who  do 
not  acknowledge  evils  to  be  sins,  is  because  they  think 
from  hell ;  and  every  one  there  supposes  that  he 
thinks  from  himself  But  that  it  is  possible  to  those 
who  acknowledge  these  two  things,  may  be  evident 
from  the  things  which  were  adduced  in  abundance 
above,  n.  2S8  to  294.  Fourthly  :  That  they  who  are 
in  these  two  acknowledgments^  only  reflect  upon  the 
evils  with  themselves^  and  reject  them  to  Jiell,  whence 
they  are.,  as  far  as  they  shun  and  loathe  them  as  sins. 
Who  does  not  know,  or  cannot  know,  that  evil  is  from 
hell,  and  that  good  is  from  heaven  ?  and  who  cannot 
hence  know,  that  as  far  as  man  shuns  and  loathes 
evil,  so  far  he  shuns  and  loathes  hell  1  and  who  can- 
not thence  know,  that  as  far  as  one  shuns  and  loathes 
evil,  so  far  he  wills  and  loves  good,  and  therefore  that 
he  is  so  far  taken  out  of  hell  by  the  Lord,  and  led  to 
heaven  ?  these  things  every  rational  man  can  see,  pro- 
vided he  knows  that  there  is  a  hell  and  a  heaven,  and 
that  evil  is  from  its  own  origin,  and  good  from  its  : 
now  if  man  reflects  upon  the  evils  with  himself, 
which  is  the  same  as  exploring  himself,  and  shuns 
them,  he  then  extricates  himself  from  hell,  and  casts 
it  behind  him,  and  inserts  himself  into  heaven,  and 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  347 

there  looks  at  the  Lord  in  front :  it  is  said  that  man 
does  this,  but  he  does  it  as  of  himself,  yet  then  from 
the  Lord.  When  man  acknowledges  this  truth  from 
a  good  heart  and  a  pious  faith,  then  it  lies  hid  within 
in  all  that  he  afterwards  thinks  and  does  as  from  him- 
self; like  the  prolific  in  seed,  which  accompanies  it 
within  even  to  new  seed  ;  and  like  the  pleasure  in  the 
appetite  for  food,  which  one  has  once  acknowledged  to 
be  wholesome  for  him  :  in  a  word,  it  is  as  a  heart  and 
soul  in  all  that  he  thinks  and  does.  Fifthly  :  Thatthus 
the  Divine  Providence  does  not  appropriate  evil  to  any 
one,  nor  good  to  any  one,  but  that  his  own  prudence 
appropriates  both :  this  follows  from  all  the  things 
which  have  been  now  said  :  the  end  of  the  Divine 
Providence  is  good  ;  this  therefore  it  intends  in  all 
operation  :  wherefore  it  does  not  appropriate  good  to 
any  one,  for  thus  it  would  become  meritorious  ;  nor 
does  it  appropriate  evil  to  any  one,  for  thus  it  would 
make  him  guilty  of  the  evil :  yet  man  does  both  from 
proprium,  because  this  is  nothing  but  evil ;  the  pro- 
prium  of  his  will  is  the  love  of  self,  and  the  proprium 
of  his  understanding  is  the  pride  of  his  own  intelli- 
gence, and  from  this  is  his  own  prudence. 


THAT    EVERV    MAN    MAY    BE    REFORMED,  AND    THAT    PREDES- 
TINATION   IS    NOT    GIVEN. 

322.  Sound  reason  dictates  that  all  are  predestined 
to  heaven,  and  no  one  to  hell  ;  for  all  are  born  men, 
and  hence  the  image  of  God  is  in  them  :  the  image  of 
God  is  in  them,  that  they  may  be  able  to  understand 
truth,  and  may  be  able  to  do  good  :  to  be  able  to 
understand  truth,  is  from  the  divine  wisdom,  and  to 
be  able  to  do  good  is  from  the  divine  love  :  this  power 
is  the  image  of  God,  which  remains  with  the  sound 
man,  and  is  not  eradicated  :  hence  it  is  that  he  is  able 
to  become  a  civil  and  moral  man  ;  and  he  who  is  civil 
and  moral,  can  also  become  spiritual ;  for  the  civil 
and  the  moral  is  the  receptacle  of  the  spiritual :  he  is 


34.8  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

called  a  civil  man,  who  knows  the  laws  of  his  king- 
dom where  he  is  a  citizen,  and  lives  according  to 
them  ;  and  he  is  called  a  moral  man,  who  makes  these 
laws  his  morals,  and  his  virtues,  and  hves  them  from 
reason.  I  will  now  tell  how  civil  and  moral  life  is 
the  receptacle  of  spiritual  life  :  live  those  laws  not 
only  as  civil  and  moral  laws,  but  also  as  divine  laws, 
and  you  will  be  a  spiritual  man.  There  is  scarcely 
given  a  nation  so  barbarous,  which  has  not  decreed  by 
laws,  that  murder,  whoredom  with  another's  wife, 
theft,  and  false  testimony,  must  not  be  committed; 
and  that  what  is  another's  must  not  be  violated  :  these 
laws  the  civil  and  mora!  man  keeps,  that  he  may  be 
or  may  appear  to  be  a  good  citizen  ;  but  if  he  does 
not  at  the  same  time  make  these  laws  divine,  he  is 
only  a  natural  civil  and  moral  man  ;  but  if  he  also 
makes  them  divine,  he  becomes  a  spiritual  civil  and 
moral  man  :  the  difference  is,  that  the  latter  is  not 
only  a  good  citizen  of  an  earthly  kingdom,  but  also  a 
good  citizen  of  the  heavenly  kingdom  ;  but  the  former 
is  a  good  citizen  of  an  earthly  kingdom,  but  not  of  the 
heavenly  kingdom  :  the  goods  which  they  do,  distin- 
guish tliem  ;  the  goods  which  the  natural  civil  and 
moral  do,  are  not  goods  in  themselves,  for  there  is  man 
and  the  world  in  them  ;  the  goods  which  the  spiritual 
civil  and  moral  do,  are  goods  in  themselves,  because 
the  Lord  and  heaven  are  in  them.  From  these  things 
it  may  be  evident,  that  every  man,  because  he  is  born 
that  he  may  become  natural  civil  and  moral,  is  also 
born  that  he  may  become  spiritual  civil  and  moral  :  it 
is  only  that  he  should  acknowledge  God,  and  not  do 
evils  because  they  are  sins  against  God,  but  do  goods 
because  they  are  with  God  ;  by  this  a  spirit  comes 
into  his  civil  and  moral  things,  and  they  live,  and 
without  it  there  is  not  any  spirit  in  them,  and  hence 
they  do  not  live  ;  wherefore  the  natural  man,  however 
civilly  and  morally  he  acts,  is  called  dead,  but  the 
spiritual  man,  living.  It  is  from  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence of  the  Lord,  that  every  nation  has  some  reli- 
gion ;  and  the  primary  of  all  religion  is,  to  acknow- 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE,  349 

ledge  that  there  is  a  God,  for  otherwise  it  is  not  called 
religion;  and  every  nation  which  lives  its  religion,  that 
is,  which  does  not  do  evil  because  it  is  against  its 
God,  receives  something  spiritual  in  its  natural.  Who, 
when  he  hears  a  heathen  say  that  he  does  not  wish  to 
do  this  and  that  evil,  because  it  is  against  his  God,  does 
not  say  within  himself,  Is  not  this  one  saved?  it  appears 
as  if  it  could  not  be  otherwise  :  sound  reason  dictates 
this  to  him.  And  on  the  contrary,  who,  when  he 
hears  a  christian  say,  This  and  that  evil  1  make  of  no 
account ;  what  means  it  that  it  is  said  to  be  against 
God  ?  does  not  say  within  himself,  Is  this  one  saved? 
it  appears  as  if  he  could  not  be  :  this  also  sound  rea- 
son dictates  :  if  he  says,  I  was  born  a  christian,  I 
have  been  baptized,  I  know  the  Lord,  have  read  the 
Word,  have  gone  to  the  sacrament  of  the  supper  ;  are 
these  anything,  wlien  the  murders  or  revenges  which 
he  breathes  after,  adulteries,  clandestine  thefts,  false 
testimonies,  or  lies,  and  various  violences,  he  does  not 
make  sins  1  does  such  an  one  think  of  God  or  of  any 
eternal  life  ]  does  he  think  that  there  is  any  1  does 
not  sound  reason  dictate,  that  such  an  one  cannot  be 
saved  7  These  things  are  said  concerning  the  chris- 
tian, because  the  heathen  thinks  concerning  God  from 
religion  in  his  life  more  than  the  christian  does.  But 
concerning  these  things  more  will  be  said  in  what  fol- 
lows, in  this  order.  1.  That  the  end  of  creation  is  a 
heaven  from  the  human  race.  2.  That  hence  it  is 
from  the  Divine  Providence,  that  every  man  can  be 
saved,  and  that  they  are  saved  who  acknowledge  a 
God  and  live  well.  3.  That  man  himself  is  in  fault, 
if  he  is  not  saved.  4.  That  thus  all  are  predestinated 
to  heaven,  and  no  one  to  hell. 

323.  I.  That  the  end  of  creation  is  a  heaveii  from 
the  human  race.  That  heaven  does  not  consist  of  any 
others,  but  those  who  were  born  men,  is  shown  in  the 
work  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  published  at 
London  in  1758,  and  also  above ;  and  because  heaven 
consists  of  no  others,  it  follows  that  the  end  of  creatioa 
is  a  heaven  from  the  human  race.  That  this  was 
30 


350  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

the  end  of  creation,  has  indeed  been  demonstrated 
above,  n.  27  to  45  ;  but  the  same  will  be  seen  still 
more  manifestly,  from  these  things  being  explained. 
1.  That  every  man  was  created  that  he  might  live  to 
eternity.  2.  That  every  man  was  created  that  he 
might  live  to  eternity  in  a  blessed  state.  3.  That 
thus  every  man  was  created  that  he  might  come  into 
heaven.  4.  That  the  Divine  Love  cannot  do  other- 
wise than  will  this,  and  that  the  Divine  Wisdom 
cannot  do  otherwise  than  provide  for  it. 

324.  Since  it  may  also  be  seen  from  these  things, 
that  the  Divine  Providence  is  no  other  predestination 
than  to  heaven,  and  that  it  cannot  be  changed  into 
any  other,  it  is  here  to  be  demonstrated,  in  the  order 
proposed,  that  the  end  of  creation  is  a  heaven  from 
the  human  race.  First  :  Tliat  every  man  xoas  created 
that  he  might  live  to  eternity.  In  the  treatise  concern- 
ing the  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  parts  third 
and  fourth,  it  was  shown,  that  there  are  three  degrees 
of  life  with  man,  which  are  called  the  natural,  the 
spiritual  and  the  celestial;  and  that  these  degrees  are 
actually  with  every  one  ;  and  that  with  beasts  there 
is  only  one  degree  of  life,  which  is  like  the  last  degree 
with  man,  which  is  called  the  natural :  from  which 
it  follows,  that  man,  by  the  elevation  of  his  life  to  the 
Lord,  is  in  that  state  above  the  beasts,  that  he  can 
understand  such  thing  as  is  of  the  divine  wisdom, 
and  will  such  thing  as  is  of  the  divine  love,  thus 
receive  the  Divine ;  and  he  who  can  receive  the 
Di-vine,  so  as  to  see  and  perceive  it  in  himself,  cannot 
otherwise  than  be  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  and  by  that 
conjunction  live  to  eternity.  What  would  the  Lord 
be  with  all  the  creation  of  the  universe,  unless  He 
had  also  created  images  and  likenesses  of  Himself,  to 
whom  he  could  communicate  His  Divine  7  otherwise 
what  else  would  it  be  than  to  cause  that  something 
should  be  and  not  be?  or  that  something  should  exist 
and  not  exist  7  and  tliis  for  nothing  else,  but  that  He 
might  at  a  distance  contemplate  mere  vicissitudes, 
and  continual  variations,  as  upon  some  stage :  what 
Divine  would  there  be  in  them,  unless  they  were  for 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  351 

the  sake  of  an  end,  that  they  might  subserve  the 
subjects  which  receive  the  Divine  more  nearly,  and 
see  and  feel  it?  and  because  the  Divine  is  of  unex- 
hausted glory,  would  he  retain  this  with  Himself 
alone  ?  and  could  He  do  this  7  for  love  wishes  to  com- 
municate its  own  to  another,  yea,  to  give  from  its 
own  as  much  as  it  can  ;  what  does  not  the  divine 
love,  which  is  infinite?  can  it  give,  and  take  away 
again  1  would  not  this  be  to  give  what  is  about  to 
perish  ?  which  within  in  itself  is  not  anything ;  because 
when  it  perishes,  it  becomes  nothing;  Is  is  not  in  it ; 
but  he  gives  what  Is,  or  what  does  not  cease  to  be,  and 
this  is  eternal.  That  every  man  may  live  to  eternity, 
that  which  is  mortal  with  him  is  taken  away ;  his 
mortal  is  the  material  body,  which  is  taken  away  by 
his  death  ;  his  immortal,  which  is  his  mind,  is  thus 
made  naked  ;  and  he  then  becomes  a  spirit  in  the 
human  form  ;  his  inind  is  that  spirit.  That  the  mind 
of  man  cannot  die,  the  sophi  or  ancient  wise  men 
saw  ;  for  they  said.  How  can  the  mind  [a?ii'nms]  or 
the  mind  [iJiefis]  die,  since  it  is  able  to  be  wise?  their 
interior  idea  concerning  it  few  at  this  day  know  ;  but 
it  was  that  which  fell  in  from  heaven  into  their  com- 
mon perception,  that  God  is  wisdom  itself,  of  which 
man  is  a  partaker  ;  and  God  is  immortal  or  eternal. 
Since  it  has  been  given  me  to  speak  with  the  angels, 
I  will  also  tell  something  from  experience  :  I  have 
spoken  with  those  who  lived  many  ages  ago,  with 
those  who  were  before  the  flood,  and  with  some  after 
the  flood,  and  with  those  who  lived  at  the  time  of  the 
Lord,  and  with  one  of  His  apostles,  and  with  many 
who  lived  in  the  ages  afterwards ;  and  they  were  all 
seen  as  men  in  middle  age  ;  and  said  that  they  did  not 
know  what  death  was,  only  that  it  was  damnation. 
All  also  who  lived  well,  when  they  come  into  heaven, 
come  into  their  vigorous  age  in  the  world,  and  remain 
in  it  to  eternity,  even  they  who  were  old  and  decrepit 
in  the  world  ;  and  women,  although  they  were  aged 
and  old  women,  return  into  the  flower  of  their  age 
and  beauty.     That  man  after  death  lives  to  eternity, 


352  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

is  manifest  from  the  Word,  where  the  life  in  heaven 
is  called  eternal  life,  as  in  Matt.  xix.  29 ;  xxv.  46  ; 
Mark  x.  17;  Luke  x.  25  ;  xviii.  30;  John  iii.  15,  16, 
36;  V.  24,  25,  39;  vi.  27,  40,  68;  xii.  50.  And  also 
simply  life,  Matt,  xviii.  8,  9;  John  v.  40;  xx.  31. 
The  Lord  also  said  to  the  disciples,  "  Because  I  live, 
ye  shall  live  also,"  John  xiv.  19:  and  concerning  the 
resurrection,  that  God  is  the  God  of  the  living,  and  not 
the  God  of  the  dead;  also  that  they  cannot  die  any 
more,  Luke  xx.  36, 38.  Secondly  :  That  every  man  teas 
created  that  he  might  live  to  eternity  in  a  blessed  state,  is 
a  consequence ;  for  He  who  wishes  that  man  should 
live  to  eternity,  wishes  also  that  he  should  live  in  a 
blessed  state:  what  is  eternal  life  without  it7  all  love 
wishes  the  good  of  another  ;  the  love  of  parents  wishes 
the  good  of  the  children,  the  love  of  the  bridegroom 
and  husband  wishes  the  good  of  the  bride  and  wife, 
and  the  love  of  friendsliip  wishes  the  good  of  friends ; 
what  does  not  the  divine  love?  and  what  else  is  good 
but  delight  ?  and  what  else  is  divme  good  but  eternal 
blessedness  7  all  good  is  called  good  from  the  delight 
or  blessedness  of  itself :  that  indeed  which  is  given  and 
possessed,  is  called  good;  but  unless  it  is  also  delight- 
ful, it  is  a  barren  good,  which  in  itself  is  not  good: 
from  these  things  it  is  manifest,  that  eternal  life  is  also 
eternal  blessedness.  This  slate  of  man  is  the  end  of 
creation ;  but  the  Lord  is  not  in  fault  that  they  alone 
are  in  this  state  who  come  into  heaven,  but  man  is  : 
that  man  is  in  fault,  will  be  seen  in  what  follows. 
Thirdly  :  That  thus  every  inan  was  created,  that  he 
tnight  come  into  heaven  :  this  is  the  end  of  creation  : 
but  that  all  do  not  come  into  heaven,  is  because 
they  imbibe  the  delights  of  hell  opposite  to  the  bless- 
edness of  heaven,  and  they  who  are  not  in  the 
blessedness  of  heaven  cannot  enter  heaven,  for 
they  do  not  endure  it.  It  is  denied  to  no  one,  who 
comes  into  the  spiritual  world,  to  ascend  into  heaven ; 
but  when  he  who  is  in  the  delight  of  hell  comes 
thither,  he  palpitates  at  heart,  is  troubled  in  breathing, 
his  life  begins  to  perish,  he  is  pained,  is  tortured,  and 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  353 

rolls  himself  about  like  a  serpent  brought  to  the  fire ; 
this  is  so,  because  opposite  acts  against  opposite. 
But  still,  because  they  were  born  men,  and  are  thereby 
in  the  faculty  of  thinking  and  willing,  and  thence  in 
the  facuhy  of  speaking  and  acting,  they  cannot  die  : 
yet  because  they  cannot  live  with  any  others  than 
with  those  who  are  in  like  delight  of  life,  they  are 
sent  back  to  them;  consequently  they  who  are  in  the 
delights  of  evil,  to  their  own  ;  and  they  who  are  in 
the  delights  of  good,  to  their  own :  yea,  it  is  given  to 
every  one  to  be  in  the  delight  of  his  evil,  provided  he 
does  not  infest  those  who  are  in  the  delight  of  good ; 
but  because  evil  cannot  do  otherwise  than  infest  good, 
for  in  evil  there  is  hatred  against  good,  therefore,  lest 
they  should  bring  harm,  they  are  removed,  and  cast 
down  into  their  places  in  hell,  where  their  delight  is 
turned  into  undelight.  But  this  does  not  prevent,  but 
that  man  should  be  from  creation  and  thence  should 
be  born  such,  that  he  can  come  into  heaven ;  for 
every  one  who  dies  an  infant,  comes  into  heaven,  is 
educated  and  instructed  there,  as  a  man  in  the  world, 
and  by  the  affection  of  good  and  truth  is  imbued  with 
wisdom,  and  becomes  an  angel :  in  like  manner  might 
a  man,  who  is  educated  and  instructed  in  the  world; 
for  the  like  is  in  him  as  in  an  infant :  concerning  infants 
in  the  spiritual  world,  it  may  be  seen  in  the  work  con- 
cerning Heaven  and  Hell,  published  at  London  in 
1758,  n.  329  to  345.  But  that  the  like  does  not  take 
place  with  many  in  the  world,  is  because  they  love 
the  first  degree  of  their  life,  which  is  called  the 
natural,  and  do  not  wish  to  recede  from  it  and  become 
spiritual ;  and  the  natural  degree  of  life,  viewed  in 
itself,  loves  nothing  but  itself  and  the  world;  for  it 
coheres  to  the  senses  of  the  body,  which  are  also 
prominent  in  the  world ;  but  the  spiritual  degree  of 
life,  viewed  in  itself,  loves  the  Lord  and  heaven,  and 
also  itself  and  the  world ;  yet  God  and  heaven  as 
the  superior,  principal  and  ruling,  and  itself  and 
the  world  as  the  inferior,  instrumental  and  serving. 
Fourthly  :  That  the  Divine  Love  cannot  do  otherwise 
30=^ 


354  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

than  iDill  this,  and  that  the  Divine  Wisdom  cannot  do 
otheriinse  than  'provide  for  it:  that  the  divine  essence 
is  divine  love  and  divine  wisdom,  is  fully  shown  in 
the  treatise  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  Divine 
Wisdom  :  it  is  also  demonstrated  therein,  n.  358  to 
370,  that  the  Lord  forms  two  receptacles  in  every 
human  embryo,  one  of  the  divine  love  and  the  other 
of  the  divine  wisdom ;  the  receptacle  of  divine  love 
for  the  future  will  of  man,  and  the  receptacle  of  divine 
wisdom  for  his  future  understanding;  and  that  thus 
he  has  endued  every  man  with  the  faculty  of  willing 
good,  and  the  faculty  of  understanding  truth.  Now 
because  these  two  faculties  of  man  are  endued  from 
birth  by  the  Lord,  and  thence  the  Lord  is  in  them  as 
in  his  own  with  man,  it  is  manifest  that  His  divine 
love  cannot  will  otherwise  than  that  man  should  come 
into  heaven,  and  there  enjoy  eternal  blessedness;  and 
also  that  the  divine  wisdom  cannot  do  otherwise  than 
provide  for  it.  But  because  it  is  from  His  divine  love 
that  man  should  feel  heavenly  blessedness  in  himself 
as  his,  and  this  cannot  be  done  unless  man  is  held  in 
all  appearance  that  he  thinks,  wills,  speaks  and  acts 
from  himself,  therefore  he  cannot  lead  man  otherwise 
than  according  to  the  laws  of  His  Divine  Providence. 
325.  H.  That  hence  it  is  from,  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, that  evei'y  man  can  he  saved,  and  that  they  are 
saved  who  acknowledge  God  and  live  well.  That 
every  man  can  be  saved,  is  manifest  from  the  things 
demonstrated  above.  Some  are  of  opinion  that  the 
church  of  the  Lord  is  only  in  the  christian  world, 
because  there  only  the  Lord  is  known,  and  there  only 
is  the  Word  :  but  still  tliere  are  many  who  believe, 
that  the  church  of  God  is  general,  or  extended  and 
spread  through  the  universal  habitable  world  ;  thus 
also  with  those  who  are  ignorant  of  the  Lord,  and 
have  not  the  Word  ;  saying  that  this  is  not  their  fault, 
and  that  the  ignorance  is  insuperable  to  them  ;  and 
that  it  is  contrary  to  the  love  and  mercy  of  God,  that 
any  should  be  born  for  hell,  when  yet  they  are  equally 
men.  Now  because  christians,  if  not  all,  still  many, 
have  the  belief  that  the  church  is  general,  which  is 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  355 

also  called  the  communion,  it  follows  that  there  are 
given  most  general  things  of  the  church,  which  enter 
into  all  religions,  and  make  that  communion  :  that 
these  most  general  things  are  the  acknowledgment  of 
a  God  and  good  of  life,  will  be  seen  in  the  following 
order.  1.  That  the  acknowJedgment  of  God  makes 
conjunction  of  God  with  man,  and  of  man  with  God  ; 
and  that  the  denial  of  God  makes  disjunction.  2. 
That  every  one  acknowledges  God,  and  is  conjoined 
to  Him,  according  to  the  good  of  his  life.  3.  That 
good  of  life,  or  living  well,  is  to  shun  evils  because 
they  are  contrary  to  religion,  thus  contrary  to  God. 
4.  That  these  are  the  general  things  of  all  religions, 
by  which  every  one  can  be  saved. 

326.  But  these  things  are  to  be  examined  and 
demonstrated  one  by  one.  First  :  That  the  acknow- 
led^inunt  of  God  makes  conjunction  of  God  with  man^ 
and  of  man  with  God;  and  that  the  denial  of  God 
iri'ikes  disjunction.  Some  may  think,  that  those  are 
equally  able  to  be  saved  who  do  not  acknowledge  God 
as  those  who  do,  provided  they  lead  a  moral  life; 
saying,  What  does  acknowledgment  operate 7  is  it 
not  thought  only?  cannot  I  easily  acknowledge, 
when  I  know  for  certain  that  there  is  a  God  7  I  have 
heard  of  Him,  but  1  have  not  seen  Him  ;  make  me 
see,  and  I  will  believe:  such  is  the  discourse  of  many 
who  deny  God,  when  it  is  allowed  them  to  reason 
freely  with  an  acknowledger  of  God.  But  that  the 
acknowledgment  of  God  conjoins,  and  the  denial  of 
God  disjoins,  will  be  illustrated  by  certain  things 
known  to  me  in  the  spiritual  world  :  when  any  one 
there  thinks  concerning  another,  and  wishes  to  speak 
with  him,  the  other  is  set  immediately  present;  this 
is  common  there,  and  never  fails ;  the  reason  is,  be- 
cause in  the  spiritual  world  there  is  no  distance,  as  in 
the  natural  world,  but  there  is  only  the  appearance 
of  distance.  Another  thing  is,  that  as  thought  from 
any  knowledge  of  another  makes  presence,  so  love 
from  any  affection  for  another  makes  conjunction, 
from  which  it  happens  that  they  come  together  and 


356  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

converse  in  a  friendly  manner,  and  dwell  in  one 
house,  or  in  one  society,  and  meet  very  frequently, 
and  perform  mutual  works :  the  contrary  also  takes 
place,  as  that  he  who  does  not  love  another,  and  still 
more  he  who  hates  another,  does  not  see  nor  meet 
him,  and  they  are  distant  according  to  the  degree  in 
which  he  does  not  love,  or  in  which  he  hates ;  yea, 
if  he  is  present,  and  then  recollects  the  hatred,  he 
becomes  unseen.  From  these  few  things  it  may  be 
evident,  whence  presence  is,  and  whence  conjunction, 
in  the  spiritual  world ;  namely,  that  presence  is  from 
the  recollection  of  another  with  the  desire  of  seeing 
him,  and  that  conjunction  is  from  the  affection  which 
is  of  love.  It  is  the  like  with  all  things  that  are  in 
the  human  mind :  there  are  innumerable  things  in  it, 
and  they  are  consociated  and  conjoined  there  each 
according  to  affections,  or  as  one  thing  loves  another. 
This  conjunction  is  spiritual  conjunction,  which  is 
like  itself  in  generals  and  particulars  :  this  spiritual 
conjunction  draws  its  origin  from  the  conjunction  of 
the  Lord  with  the  spiritual  world,  and  with  the  natu- 
ral world,  in  general  and  in  particular :  from  which 
things  it  is  manifest  that  as  far  as  any  one  knows  the 
Lord,  and  thinks  concerning  Him  from  knowledges, 
so  far  the  Lord  is  present;  and  as  far  as  any  one 
acknowledges  Him  from  an  affection  of  love,  so  far 
the  Lord  is  conjoined  to  him  :  and  on  the  contrary, 
that  as  far  as  any  one  does  not  know  the  Lord,  so  far 
the  Lord  is  absent;  and  that  as  far  as  any  one  denies 
Him,  so  far  he  is  disjoined.  Conjunction  causes  that 
the  Lord  turns  his  face  to  Himself,  and  then  leads 
him;  and  disjunction  causes  that  hell  turns  his  face 
to  itself,  and  leads  him  :  wherefore  all  the  angels  of 
heaven  turn  their  faces  to  the  Lord  as  a  sun,  and  all 
the  spirits  of  hell  turn  away  their  faces  from  the 
Lord.  From  these  things  it  is  manifest,  what  the 
acknowledgment  of  God  operates,  and  what  the  denial 
of  God.  And  they  who  deny  God  in  the  world,  deny 
Him  after  death;  and  become  organized  according  to 
the  description  above,  n.  319 ;    and  the  organization 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  357 

induced  in  the  world  remains  to  eternity.  Secondly  : 
That  every  one  acknowledges  God,  and  is  conjoined  to 
Him,  according  to  the  good  of  his  life :  all  can  know 
God,  who  know  anything  from  religion  ;  they  can 
also  spealc  concerning  God  from  science  or  memory, 
and  some  also  can  think  concerning  God  from  the 
understanding :  but  this,  if  he  does  not  live  well, 
makes  nothing  but  presence  ;  for  he  can  neverthe- 
less tm-n  himself  away  from  Him,  and  turn  himself 
to  hell,  which  is  done  if  he  lives  ill.  But  no  others 
can  acknowledge  God  in  heart,  but  they  who  live 
well :  these,  according  to  the  good  of  their  life,  the 
Lord  turns  away  from  hell,  and  turns  to  Himself: 
the  reason  is,  because  these  alone  love  God ;  for  they 
love  the  divine  things  which  are  from  Him,  by  doing 
them  :  the  divine  things  which  are  from  God,  are  the 
commandments  of  His  law ;  these  are  God,  because 
He  is  His  proceeding  Divine,  and  this  is  to  love  God; 
wherefore  the  Lord  says,  "  He  that  doeth  my  com- 
mandments, he  it  is  that  loveth  Me  ;  but  he  that  doeth 
not  my  commandments,  doth  not  love  Me,"  John  xiv. 
21  to  24.  This  is  the  cause  that  there  are  two  tables 
of  the  decalogue ;  one  for  God,  and  the  other  for  man  : 
God  operates  continually  that  man  may  receive  the 
things  which  are  in  his  table ;  but  if  man  does  not  do 
the  things  that  are  in  his  table,  he  does  not  receive 
with  acknowledgment  of  the  heart  the  things  that  are 
in  God's  table ;  and  if  he  does  not  receive  them,  he  is 
not  conjoined  :  wherefore  the  two  tables  are  conjoined 
that  they  may  be  one,  and  are  called  the  tables  of  the 
covenant;  and  a  covenant  signifies  conjunction.  The 
reason  why  every  one  acknowledges  God,  and  is  con- 
joined to  Him,  according  to  the  good  of  his  life,  is 
because  good  of  life  is  like  the  good  which  is  in  the 
Lord,  and  hence  which  is  from  the  Lord ;  wherefore 
when  man  is  in  good  of  life,  conjunction  takes  place. 
It  is  the  contrary  with  evil  of  life  ;  this  rejects  God. 
Thirdly  :  That  good  of  life,  or  living  well,  is  to  shun 
evils  hecansc  they  are  against  religion,  thus  against 
God:  that  this  is  good  of  life,  or  living  well,  is  fully 


358  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

shown  in  the  Doctrine  of  Life  for  the  New  Jerusalem, 
from  beginning  to  end.  To  which  things  I  shall  only 
add  these  ;  that  if  you  do  good  things  in  all  abundance, 
as  if  you  build  temples,  adorn  and  fill  them  with  pres- 
ents, if  you  lay  out  expense  upon  hospitals  and  cara- 
vansaries, if  you  give  alms  daily,  relieve  widows 
and  orphans,  if  you  diligently  attend  the  holy  things 
of  worship,  yea,  if  you  think,  speak  and  preach  them 
as  from  the  heart,  and  yet  do  not  shun  evils  as  sins 
against  God,  all  these  goods  are  not  goods;  they  are 
either  hypocritical  or  meritorious,  for  evil  is  still 
within  in  them;  for  the  life  of  every  one  is  in  all  and 
each  of  the  things  that  he  does :  but  goods  become 
goods  no  otherwise,  than  by  the  removal  of  evil  from 
them.  From  these  things  it  is  manifest,  that  to  shun 
evils  because  they  are  against  religion,  thus  against 
God,  is  to  live  well.  Fourthly  :  That  these  are  the 
generals  of  all  religions^  hy  xnkich  every  one  can  he 
saved.  To  acknowledge  God,  and  not  to  do  evil 
because  it  is  against  God,  are  the  two  things  which 
make  religion  to  be  religion  :  if  one  is  wanting,  it 
cannot  be  called  religion ;  for  to  acknowledge  God 
and  to  do  evil,  is  contradictory  ;  also  to  do  good  and 
not  to  acknowledge  God ;  for  the  one  is  not  given 
without  the  other.  It  is  provided  by  the  Lord,  that 
there  should  be  some  religion  almost  everywhere,  and 
that  in  every  religion  there  should  be  these  .two 
things  ;  and  it  is  also  provided  by  the  Lord,  that 
every  one  who  acknowledges  God,  and  does  not  do 
evil  because  it  is  against  God,  should  have  a  place  in 
heaven ;  for  heaven  in  the  complex  resembles  one 
man,  whose  life  or  soul  is  the  Lord:  in  that  heavenly 
man  are  all  the  things  which  are  in  the  natural  man, 
with  a  difference  such  as  there  is  between  heavenly 
things  and  natural.  It  is  known  that  there  are  in 
man  not  only  forms  organized  of  blood-vessels  and 
nervous  fibres,  which  are  called  the  viscera,  but  also 
that  there  are  skins,  membranes,  tendons,  cartilages, 
bones,  nails  and  teeth  ;  these  are  living  in  a  loss  degree 
than  are  the  organized  forms  themselves,  to  which 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  359 

they  serve  as  ligaments,  coverings  and  supports  :  that 
heavenly  man,  which  is  heaven,  that  there  may  be 
all  these  things  in  it,  cannot  be  composed  of  the  men 
of  one  religion,  but  of  men  of    the  many  religions  ; 
hence    all   who  make    those    two    universals    of  the 
church  of  their  life,  have  a  place   in  that  heavenly 
man,  that  is,  in  heaven,  and  enjoy  happiness  in  their 
degree  :    but  concerning  these    things   more   may  be 
seen  above,   n.  254.     That   those  two  things  are  the 
primaries  in  all  religion,  may  be  evident  from  this, 
that  it  is  those  two  which  the  decalogue  teaches,  and 
that  was  the  first  of  the  Word,  and  being  promulgated 
from  mount  Sinai  by  Jehovah  with  a   living  voice, 
and  inscribed  on  two  stone  tables  by   the  finger  of 
God,  and  then  placed  in  the  ark,  it  was  called  Jeho- 
vah, and  made  the  holy  of  holies  in  the  tabernacle, 
and  the  inmost  recess  in  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  and 
from  it  alone  all   the  things  which  were  there  were 
holy  ;  besides  more  things  from  the  Word  concerning 
the  decalogue  in  the  ark,  which  are  adduced  in  the 
Doctrine  of  Life  for  the  New  Jerusalem,  n.  53  to 
61 ;  to  which  I  will  add  these  :  it  is  known  from  the 
Word,  that  the  ark,  in  which  were  the  two  tables  on 
which  the  decalogue    was    inscribed,  was  taken  by 
the  Philistines,  and  placed  in  the  fane  of  Dagon  in 
Ashdod,  and  that  Dagon  fell  down  to  the  earth  before 
it,  and   afterwards   his  head,  with  the   palms   of  his 
hands,  torn  from  his  body,  lay  upon  the  threshold  of 
the  fane ;  and  that  on  account  of  the  ark,  the  Ash- 
dodites  and  Ekronites  were  smitten  with  emerods  to 
many  thousands,  and  that  their  land  was  laid  waste 
by  mice  :  also  that   the  Philistines,  by  the  advice  of 
the  first  men  of  their  nation,  made  five  emerods  and 
five  mice  of  gold,  and  a  new  cart,  and  placed  the  ark 
upon  this,  and  by  it  the  emerods  and  mice  of  gold, 
and  sent  back  the  ark  by  two  cows,  which  lowed  in 
the  way  before  the  cart,  to  the  sons  of  Israel,  by  whom 
the  cows  and  cart  were  sacrificed  ;  see  1  Sam.  v.  and  vi. 
It  shall  now  be  told   what  all  these  things  signified: 
the  Philistines  signified  those  who  are  in  faith  separate 


360  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

from  charity  ;  Dagon  represented  that  rehgion  ;  the 
emerods  with  which  they  were  smitten,  signified  the 
natural  loves,  which,  separte  from  spiritual  love,  are 
unclean  ;  and  the  mice  signified  the  devastation  of  the 
church  by  falsifications  of  truth;  the  new  cart,  npon 
which  they  sent  back  the  ark,  signified  new  doctrine, 
but  natural,  for  a  carriage  in  the  Word  signifies  doc- 
trine from  spiritual  truths;  the  cows  signified  good 
natural  affections ;  the  emerods  of  gold  signified 
natural  loves  purified  and  made  good  ;  the  mice  of 
gold  signified  the  vastation  of  the  church  taken  away 
by  good,  for  gold  in  the  Word  signifies  good  ;  the 
lowing  of  the  cows  in  the  way  signified  the  difficult 
conversion  of  the  concupiscences  of  evil  of  the  natural 
man  into  good  affections ;  that  the  cows  with  the  cart 
were  offered  as  a  whole-burnt-offering,  signified  that 
the  Lord  was  thus  propitiated.  These  are  the  things 
that  are  spiritually  understood  by  those  historicals : 
join  them  together  into  one  sense,  and  make  the  ap- 
plication. That  by  the  Philistines  were  represented 
those  who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity,  may  be 
seen  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concern- 
ing Faith,  n.  49  to  54.  And  that  the  ark,  from  the 
decalogue  inclosed  therein,  was  the  most  holy  thing 
of  the  church,  may  be  seen  in  the  Doctrine  of  Life 
FOR  the  New  Jerusalem,  n.  53  to  61. 

327.  in.  That  man  himself  is  in  fault,  if  he  is  not 
saved.  This  truth  is  acknowledged  by  every  rational 
man  when  only  heard,  that  evil  cannot  flow  from 
good,  nor  good  from  evil,  because  they  are  opposites; 
consequently,  that  from  good  nothing  but  good  flows, 
and  from  evil  nothing  but  evil  :  when  this  truth  is 
acknowledged,  this  also  is  acknowledged,  that  good 
may  be  turned  into  evil,  not  by  a  good  but  by  an  evil  re- 
cipient ;  for  every  form  turns  the  inflowing  into  its  own 
quality  ;  see  above,  n.  92.  Now  because  the  Lord  is 
good  in  its  very  essence,  or  good  itself,  it  is  manifest 
that  evil  cannot  flow  from  the  Lord,  nor  be  produced 
from  Him  ;  but  that  it  may  be  turned  into  evil  by  a 
recipient  subject,  whose  form  is  a  form  of  evil :  such  a 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  '361 

subject  is  man  as  to  his  proprium  ;  this  continually 
receives  good  from  the  Lord,  and  continually  turns  it 
into  the  quality  of  its  form,  which  is  a  form  of  evil: 
hence  it  follows  that  man  is  in  fault,  if  he  is  not  saved. 
Evil  is  indeed  from  hell;  but  because  he  receives  it 
thence  as  his,  and  thereby  appropriates  it  to  himself, 
it  is  therefore  the  same,  whether  it  is  said  that  evil  is 
from  man,  or  is  said  that  evil  is  from  hell.  But 
whence  the  appropriation  of  evil  is,  till  at  length  reli- 
gion perishes,  shall  be  told  in  this  series.  1.  That 
every  religion  in  process  of  time  decreases  and  is  con- 
summated. 2.  That  every  religion  decreases  and  is 
consummated  by  the  inversion  of  the  image  of  God 
with  man.  3.  That  this  exists  from  the  continual 
increase  of  hereditary  evil  in  generations.  4.  That 
still  it  is  provided  by  the  Lord,  that  every  one  maybe 
saved.  5.  That  it  is  also  provided,  that  a  new  church 
should  succeed  in  place  of  the  former  devastated 
one. 

328.  But  these  are  to  be  demonstrated  in  series. 
First  :  That  every  religion  in  process  of  time  de- 
creases and  is  consummated.  On  this  Earth  there  have 
been  many  churches,  one  after  another  ;  for  where  the 
human  race  is  given,  there  a  church  is  given  ;  for 
heaven,  which  is  the  end  of  creation,  is  from  the  hu- 
man race,  as  has  been  demonstrated  above ;  and  no 
one  can  come  into  heaven,  unless  he  is  in  the  two 
universals  of  the  church,  which  are  to  acknowledge  a 
God,  and  to  live  well ;  as  was  shown  just  above,  n. 
326  :  hence  it  follows,  that  there  have  been  churches 
on  this  Earth  from  the  most  ancient  time,  down  to 
the  present  time.  These  churches  are  described  in 
the  Word,  but  not  historically,  except  the  Israelitish 
and  Jewish  church,  before  which  there  were  yet 
many;  and  the  latter  are  only  described  there  by  the 
names  of  nations  and  persons,  and  by  a  few  things 
concerning  them.  The  most  ancient  church,  which 
was  the  first,  is  described  by  Adam  and  his  wife  Eve. 
The  following  church,  which  is  to  be  called  the  an- 
cient church,  is  described  by  Noah  and  his  three  sons, 
31 


362  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

and  by  the  posterity  from  them :  this  was  large,  and 
extended  through  many  kingdoms  of  Asia,  which  were 
the  land  of  Canaan  within  and  beyond  the  Jordan, 
Syria,  Assyria  and  Chaldea,  Mesopotamia,  Egypt, 
Arabia,  Tyre  and  Sidon :  with  these  was  the  old 
Word,  concerning  which  see  the  Doctrine  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,  n. 
lOi,  102,  103.  That  that  church  was  in  these  king- 
doms, is  evident  from  various  things  that  are  related 
concerning  them  in  the  prophetical  parts  of  the  Word. 
But  that  church  was  remarkably  changed  by  Heber, 
from  whom  arose  the  Hebrew  church  :  in  this  was 
worship  by  sacrifices  first  instituted.  From  the  He- 
brew church  sprang  the  Israelitish  and  Jewish  church, 
but  solemnly  instituted  for  the  sake  of  the  Word, 
which  was  written  out  there.  These  four  churches 
are  understood  by  the  statue  seen  by  Nebuchadnezzar 
in  a  dream,  the  head  of  which  was  of  pure  gold, 
the  breast  and  arms  of  silver,  the  belly  and  thighs 
of  brass,  and  the  legs  and  feet  of  iron  and  clay  : 
Dan.  ii.  32,  33.  Nor  is  anything  else  understood  by 
the  golden,  silver,  brazen,  and  iron  ages,  mentioned 
by  the  ancient  writers.  That  the  christian  church 
succeeded  the  Jewish  church,  is  known.  That  all 
those  churches  in  process  of  time  decreased  even  to 
their  end,  which  is  called  their  consummation,  may 
also  be  seen  from  the  Word.  The  consummation  of 
the  most  ancient  church,  which  was  done  by  eating 
of  the  tree  of  knowledge,  by  which  is  signified  the 
pride  of  one's  own  intelligence,  is  described  by  the 
deluge.  The  consummation  of  the  ancient  church  is 
described  by  various  devastations  of  the  nations,  treated 
of  in  the  historical  as  well  as  the  prophetical  Word, 
especially  by  the  casting  out  of  the  nations  from  the 
land  of  Canaan  by  the  children  of  Israel.  The  con- 
summation of  the  Israelitish  and  Jewish  church  is 
understood  by  the  destruction  of  the  temple  of  Jerusa- 
lem, and  by  the  carrying  away  of  the  Israelitish  people 
hi  to  perpetual  captivity,  and  of  the  Jewish  nation  into 
Babylonia :  and  at  length  by  the  second  destructioa 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  363 

of  the  temple  and  at  the  same  time  of  Jerusalem,  and 
the  dispersion  of  that  nation  :  which  consummation  is 
foretold  in  many  places  in  the  prophets,  and  in  Daniel 
ix.  24  to  27.  But  the  successive  vastation  of  the 
christian  church,  even  to  its  end,  is  described  by 
the  Lord  in  Matthew  xxiv.  ;  in  Mark  xiii. ;  and  in 
Luke  xxi.:  but  the  consummation  itself  of  it,  in  the 
Apocalypse.  From  these  things  it  may  be  evident, 
that  in  process  of  time  the  church  decreases  and  is 
consummated ;  so  also  religion.  Secondly  :  That 
every  relision  decreases  and  is  consicmmated  by  the 
inversion  of  the  image  of  God  with  man.  It  is  known 
that  man  vi'^as  created  into  the  image  of  God,  accor- 
ding to  the  likeness  of  God;  Gen.  i.  26  :  but  it  shall 
be  told  what  the  image  and  what  the  likeness  of  God 
are  :  God  alone  is  love  and  wisdom  ;  man  was  created 
that  he  might  be  a  receptacle  of  both  ;  that  his  will 
might  be  the  receptacle  of  the  divine  love,  and  that  his 
understanding  might  be  the  receptacle  of  the  divine 
wisdom.  That  these  two  things  are  with  man  by 
creation,  and  that  they  make  man,  and  that  they  are 
also  formed  in  the  womb  with  every  one,  has  been 
shown  above  :  man  therefore  is  an  image  of  God,  that 
he  may  be  a  recipient  of  the  divine  wisdom,  and  a 
likeness  of  God,  that  he  may  be  a  recipient  of  the 
divine  love  ;  wherefore  the  receptacle  which  is  called 
the  understanding,  is  the  image  of  God,  and  the  recep- 
tacle which  is  called  the  will,  is  the  likeness  of  God: 
hence,  because  man  was  created  and  formed  that  he 
might  be  a  receptacle,  it  follows  that  he  was  created 
and  formed  that  his  will  might  receive  love  from  God, 
and  that  his  understanding  might  receive  wisdom 
from  God;  which  man  also  does  receive,  when  he 
acknowledges  God,  and  lives  according  to  His  com- 
mandments ;  but  in  a  less  and  greater  degree,  as 
from  religion  he  knows  God,  and  knows  the  com- 
mandments ;  and  therefore  as  he  knows  truths ;  for 
truths  teach  what  God  is,  and  how  He  is  to  be  ac- 
knowledged ;  also  what  the  commandments  are,  and 
how  to  live  according  to  them.     The  image  of  God 


364  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

and  the  likeness  of  God  are  not  destroyed  with  man, 
but  are  as  destroyed  ;  for  they  remain  implanted  in 
his  two  faculties,  that  are  called  rationality  and  liberty, 
which  are  much  treated  of  above :  they  became  as 
destroyed,  when  man  made  the  receptacle  of  the 
divine  love,  which  is  his  will,  the  receptacle  of  the  love 
of  self,  and  the  receptacle  of  the  divine  wisdom,  which 
is  his  understanding,  the  receptacle  of  his  own  intelli- 
gence :  thereby  he  inverted  the  image  and  likeness  of 
God,  for  he  turned  away  those  two  receptacles  from 
God,  and  turned  them  round  to  himself:  hence  it 
is,  that  they  are  closed  above,  and  open  below,  or 
that  they  are  closed  before  and  open  behind,  when  yet 
by  creation  they  were  open  before  and  closed  behind  ; 
and  when  they  are  opened  and  closed  thus  inversely, 
then  the  receptacle  of  love  or  the  will  receives  influx 
from  hell  or  from  its  proprium  ;  in  like  manner  the  re- 
ceptacle of  wisdom  or  the  understanding.  Hence  arose 
in  the  churches  the  worship  of  men  in  place  of  the  wor- 
ship of  God,  and  worship  from  the  doctrines  of  falsity 
in  place  of  worship  from  the  doctrines  of  truth;  the 
latter  from  their  own  intelligence,  and  the  former  from 
the  love  of  self.  From  these  things  it  is  manifest,  that 
religion  in  process  of  time  decreases  and  is  consum- 
mated by  the  inversion  of  the  image  of  God  with  man. 
Thirdly  :  That  tids  exists  from  the  continual  increase 
of  hereditary  evil  in  generations.  That  hereditary  evil 
is  not  from  Adam  and  his  wife  Eve  by  eating  of  the 
tree  of  knowledge,  but  that  it  is  derived  and  trans- 
planted successively  from  parents  into  the  offspring, 
and  thus  grows  worse  from  continual  increase  in  gen- 
erations, has  been  said  and  shown  above.  When  evil 
hence  grows  worse  with  many,  then  it  spreads  the 
evil  from  itself  among  more ;  for  in  all  evil  is  the  lust 
of  seducing,  burning  from  anger  against  good  in  some ; 
hence  the  contagiousness  of  evil  :  when  this  invaded 
the  dignitaries,  rulers,  and  champions  in  the  church, 
religion  became  perverted,  and  the  means  of  cure, 
which  are  truths,  became  corrupted  by  falsifications  : 
from  these  things  then  is  the  successive  vastation  of 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  365 

good  and  desolation  of  truth  in  the  church  even  to  its 
consummation.  Fourthly  :  That  still  it  is  provided 
by  the  Lord,  that  every  one  can  be  saved.  It  is  pro- 
vided by  the  Lord,  that  there  should  be  religion  every- 
where, and  that  in  every  religion  there  should  be  the 
two  essentials  of  salvation,  which  are,  to  acknowledge 
God,  and  not  to  do  evil  because  it  is  against  Ood: 
the  rest  of  the  things  that  are  of  the  understanding 
and  thence  of  the  thought,  which  are  called  [matters] 
of  faith,  are  provided  for  every  one  according  to  his 
life ;  for  they  are  accessory  to  life  ;  and  if  they  pre- 
cede, still  they  do  not  before  receive  life.  It  is  also 
provided,  that  all  who  have  lived  well,  and  have  ac- 
knowledged a  God,  are  instructed  by  the  angels  after 
death;  and  then  they  who  were  in  the  two  essentials  of 
religion  in  the  world,  receive  the  truths  of  the  church, 
such  as  are  in  the  Word,  and  acknowledge  the  Lord 
as  the  God  of  heaven  and  of  the  church  ;  and  they  re- 
ceive this  more  easily  than  christians  do,  who  have 
brought  with  them  from  the  world  the  idea  concern- 
ing the  Human  of  the  Lord  separate  from  His  Divine. 
It  is  also  provided  by  the  Lord,  that  all  who  die 
infants,  wherever  they  were  born,  are  saved.  There 
is  also  given  to  every  man  after  death  ample  means 
of  amending  his  life,  if  possible  :  they  are  instructed 
and  led  of  the  Lord  by  the  angels ;  and  because  they 
then  know  that  they  live  after  death,  and  that  there  is 
a  heaven  and  a  hell,  in  the  beginning  they  receive 
truths ;  but  they  that  have  not  acknowledged  God, 
and  shunned  evils  as  sins  in  the  world,  soon  after  dis- 
dain the  truths,  and  recede ;  and  they  that  have  ac- 
knowledged them  with  the  mouth  and  not  in  heart, 
are  like  the  foolish  virgins,  who  had  lamps  and  no 
oil,  and  sought  oil  from  others,  and  also  went  away 
and  bought,  and  yet  were  not  admitted  to  the  wed- 
ding :  lamps  signify  the  truths  of  faith,  and  oil  signi- 
fies the  good  of  charity.  From  these  things  it  may  be 
evident,  that  the  Divine  Providence  is,  that  everyone 
can  be  saved,  and  that  man  himself  is  in  fault  if  he  is 
not  saved.  Fifthly  :  That  it  is  also  provided,  that  a 
31# 


366  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

new  church  should  succeed  in  place  of  the  former  de- 
vastated one.  This  has  been  done  from  the  most 
ancient  times,  namely,  that  a  former  church  being 
devastated,  a  new  one  succeeded :  after  the  most 
ancient  church  the  ancient  succeeded ;  after  the  an- 
cient, the  IsraeHtish  or  Jewish ;  after  this  the  chris- 
tian :  that  after  this  also  a  new  church  is  to  succeed,  is 
foretold  in  the  Apocalypse,  which  is  there  understood 
by  the  New  Jerusalem  descending  out  of  heaven. 
The  reason  that  a  new  church  is  provided  by  the 
Lord  to  succeed  in  place  of  the  former  devastated  one, 
may  be  seen  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem 

CONCERNING    THE    SaCRED    ScRIPTURE,   U.    104  tO   113. 

329.  IV.  That  tlivs  all  are  predestinated  to  heaven^ 
and  no  one  to  hell.  That  the  Lord  casts  no  one  into 
hell,  but  that  the  spirit  himself  casts  himself  in,  is 
shown  in  the  work  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  pub- 
lished at  London,  1758,  n.  545  to  550  :  thus  it  happens 
with  every  evil  and  impious  one  after  death  ;  it  happens 
in  like  manner  with  the  evil  and  impious  in  the  world, 
with  the  difference,  that  in  the  world  he  can  be  re- 
formed, and  embrace  and  imbibe  the  means  of  salva- 
tion, but  not  after  departure  out  of  the  world.  The 
means  of  salvation  have  reference  to  these  two  things, 
that  evils  are  to  be  shunned  because  they  are  against 
the  divine  laws  in  the  decalogue,  and  that  it  should  be 
acknowledged  that  there  is  a  God  :  this  every  one 
can  do,  provided  he  does  not  love  evils ;  for  the  Lord 
flows  in  continually  with  power  into  the  will,  that  he 
may  be  able  to  shun  evils,  and  with  power  into  the 
understanding,  that  he  may  be  able  to  think  that  there 
is  a  God  ;  but  still,  no  one  can  do  the  one,  unless  at  the 
same  time  the  other:  these  two  are  conjoined,  as  the 
two  tables  of  the  decalogue  are  conjoined  ;  one  of 
which  is  for  the  Lord,  and  the  other  for  man  :  the 
Lord  from  His  table  illustrates  every  one,  and  gives 
power  ;  but  as  far  as  man  does  the  things  that  are  in 
his  table,  so  far  he  receives  power  and  illustration  : 
before,  the  two  tables  appear  as  if  lying  one  upon  the 
other,  and  fastened  together  by  a  seal ;  but  as  man 


THE   DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  367 

does  the  things  that  are  in  his  table,  they  are  unfastened 
and  opened.  What  is  the  decalogue  at  this  day,  but 
as  a  little  book  or  paper  closed  up,  only  open  in  the 
hands  of  infants  and  children  :  say  to  any  one  of  con- 
siderable age,  Do  not  do  this,  because  it  is  against  the 
decalogue,  and  who  attends  ?  but  if  you  say,  Do  not 
do  this  because  it  is  against  the  divine  laws,  to  this 
he  can  attend ;  when  yet  the  commandments  of  the 
decalogue  are  the  divine  laws  themselves  :  the  experi- 
ment was  made  with  many  in  the  spiritual  world, 
who  rejected  it  with  contempt  when  it  was  called  the 
decalogue  or  catechism :  the  reason  is,  because  in  the 
second  table,  which  is  man's  table,  the  decalogue 
teaclies  that  evils  are  to  be  shunned  ;  and  he  who  does 
not  shun  them,  either  from  impiety,  or  from  the  reli- 
gion that  works  do  nothing,  but  faith  alone,  with  a 
certain  contempt  hears  the  decalogue  or  catecliism 
named  as  he  would  hear  some  book  of  childhood 
named,  which  is  no  longer  of  any  use  to  him.  These 
things  are  said,  that  it  may  be  known  that  there  is 
wanting  to  no  man  the  knowledge  of  the  means  by 
which  he  may  be  saved,  nor  the  power,  if  he  wishes 
to  be  saved :  from  which  it  follows  that  all  are  pre- 
destinated to  heaven  and  no  one  to  hell.  But  because 
there  has  prevailed  with  some  a  belief  concerning  pre- 
destination to  non-salvation,  which  is  damnation,  and 
this  belief  is  hurtful,  and  cannot  be  dispelled,  unless 
reason  also  sees  something  insane  and  cruel  in  it, 
therefore  it  is  to  be  treated  of  in  this  series.  1.  That 
any  other  predestination  than  to  heaven,  is  contrary  to 
the  Divine  Love  and  its  infinity.  2.  That  any  other 
predestination  than  to  heaven,  is  contrary  to  the  Di- 
vine Wisdom  and  its  infinity.  3.  That  those  only  are 
saved  who  are  born  within  the  church,  is  an  insane 
heresy.  4.  That  any  from  the  human  race  are  damned 
from  predestination,  is  a  cruel  heresy. 

330.  But  that  it  may  appear  how  hurtful  the  belief 
in  predestination  is  as  commonly  understood,  these 
four  propositions  are  to  be  taken  up  and  confirmed. 
First  :    That  any  other  predestination  than  to  heaven  is 


368  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

contrary  to  the  Divine  Love,  which  is  i?iji?iitc.  That 
Jehovah  or  the  Lord  is  Divine  Love,  and  that  He  is 
infinite,  and  the  being  of  all  life;  also  that  man  was 
created  into  the  image  of  God  according  to  the  likeness 
of  God,  is  demonstrated  in  the  treatise  concerning  the 
Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom  :  and  because  every 
man  is  formed  by  the  Lord  in  the  womb  into  that 
image  according  to  that  likeness,  as  was  also  demon- 
strated, it  follows  that  the  Lord  is  the  heavenly  Fa- 
ther of  all  men,  and  that  men  are  His  spiritual  sons  : 
Jehovah  or  the  Lord  is  also  so  called  in  the  Word,  and 
men  are  so  called  therein  :  wherefore  He  says,  "  Your 
father  on  earth  ye  shall  not  call  your  father ;  for  one 
is  your  Father,  who  is  in  the  heavens  :"  Matt,  xxiii. 
9 :  by  which  is  understood  that  He  alone  is  Father  as 
to  life,  and  that  the  father  on  earth  is  father  only  as 
to  the  clothing  of  life,  which  is  the  body  ;  wherefore 
in  heaven  no  other  father  is  named  but  the  Lord  :  that 
men  who  do  not  invert  that  life,  are  called  sons  and 
born  of  Him,  is  also  manifest  from  many  passages  in 
the  Word.  Hence  it  may  be  evident,  that  the  Divine 
Love  is  in  every  man,  as  well  the  evil  as  the  good  ; 
consequently  that  the  Lord,  who  is  Divine  Love,  can- 
not act  otherwise  with  them,  than  as  a  father  on  earth 
does  with  his  children  ;  and  infinitely  more  so,  be- 
cause the  Divine  Love  is  infinite  ;  also  that  He  can 
recede  from  no  one,  because  the  life  of  every  one  is 
from  Him  :  it  appears  as  if  He  receded  from  the  evil, 
but  the  evil  recede  ;  yet  He  still  leads  ihem  from  love  : 
wherefore  the  Lord  says,  "Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given 
you;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find;  knock,  and  it  shall  be 
opened  to  you  :  what  man  is  there  of  you,  who,  if  his 
son  shall  ask  bread,  will  give  him  a  stone '?  if  there- 
fore ye,  who  are  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  to 
your  children,  how  much  more  shall  your  Father  who 
is  in  the  heavens  give  good  things  to  them  that  ask 
Him:"  Matt.  vii.  7  to  11  :  and  elsewhere,  "  That  He 
maketh  His  son  to  rise  upon  the  evil  and  the  good, 
and  sendeth  rain  upon  the  just  and  the  unjust :"  Matt. 
v.  45.  It  is  known  also  in  the  church,  that  the  Lord 
wills  the  salvation  of  all,  and  the  death  of  no  one. 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  369 

From  these  things  it  may  be  seen,  that  any  other  pre- 
destination than  to  heaven  is  contrary  to  the  Divine 
Love.  Secondly  :  Tlmt  any  other  predestination  than 
to  heaven  is  contrary  to  the  Divine  Wisdom,  which  is 
injinite.  The  Divine  Love  through  its  Divine  Wis- 
dom provides  means  by  which  every  man  can  be 
saved ;  wherefore,  to  say  that  there  is  any  other  pre- 
destination than  to  heaven,  is  to  say  that  it  cannot 
provide  the  means  by  which  salvation  is ;  when  yet  all 
have  the  means,  as  has  been  shown  above  ;  and  these 
are  from  the  Divine  Providence,  which  is  infinite.  But 
that  there  are  those  who  are  not  saved,  is  because  the 
Divine  Love  wills  that  man  should  feel  the  happiness 
and  blessedness  of  heaven  in  himself,  for  otherwise  it 
would  not  be  heaven  to  him ;  and  this  cannot  be  done, 
unless  it  appears  to  man  that  he  thinks  and  wills  from 
himself;  for  without  this  appearance  nothing  v.'ould 
be  appropriated  to  him,  nor  would  he  be  a  man  :  for 
the  sake  of  this  is  the  Divine  Providence,  which  is  of 
the  Divine  Wisdom  from  the  Divine  Love.  But  this 
does  not  take  away  the  truth,  that  all  are  predesti- 
nated to  heaven,  and  no  one  to  hell ;  yet  if  the  means 
of  salvation  were  wanting  it  would  take  it  away  :  but 
that  the  means  of  salvation  are  provided  for  every  one, 
and  that  heaven  is  such  that  all  who  live  Avell,  of 
whatever  religion  they  are,  may  have  a  place  therein, 
has  been  demonstrated  above.  Man  is  like  the  earth, 
which  produces  fruits  of  every  kind ;  from  which 
faculty  the  earth  is  the  earth  :  that  it  also  produces 
bad  fruits,  does  not  preclude  but  that  it  may  also  pro- 
duce good  ones ;  but  it  would  preclude  it,  if  it  could 
produce  none  but  bad  ones.  Man  also  is  as  an  object 
which  variegates  the  rays  of  light  in  itself;  if  it  only 
presents  unpleasant  colors,  the  light  is  not  the  cause; 
the  rays  of  light  can  also  be  variegated  into  pleasant 
colors.  Thirdly  :  That  they  alone  are  saved  who 
are  born  within  the  church,  is  an  insane  heresy. 
Those  who  are  born  out  of  the  church  are  equally 
men  as  those  who  are  born  within  it,  of  a  like 
heavenly  origin,  equally  living  and  immortal  souls: 
they  also  have  a  religion,  from  which  they  acknow- 


370  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

ledge  that  there  is  a  God,  and  that  one  must  live  well ; 
and  he  who  acknowledges  a  God  and  lives  well,  be- 
comes spiritual  in  his  degree,  and  is  saved,  as  was 
shown  above.  It  is  said  that  they  have  not  been  bap- 
tized ;  but  baptism  saves  no  others  but  those  who  are 
spiritually  washed,  that  is,  regenerated ;  for  baptism 
is  for  a  sign  and  memorial  of  it.  [It  is  said]  that  the 
Lord  is  not  known  to  them,  and  that  without  the  Lord 
there  is  no  salvation  :  but  no  one  has  salvation  for  the 
reason  that  the  Lord  is  known  to  him,  but  because 
he  lives  according  to  His  commandments;  and  He 
is  known  to  every  one  who  acknowledges  a  God, 
for  the  Lord  is  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  as  He 
teaches,  Matt,  xxviii.  18,  and  elsewhere  :  and  more- 
over they  who  are  out  of  the  church  have  an  idea  con- 
cerning God  as  a  Man,  more  than  christians  have ;  and 
they  who  have  an  idea  concerning  God  as  a  Man,  and 
live  well,  are  accepted  by  the  Lord ;  they  also  acknow- 
ledge one  God  in  essence  and  in  person,  otherwise 
than  christians  :  and  they  think  too  concerning  God  in 
their  life,  for  they  make  evils  sins  against  God;  and 
they  who  do  this,  think  concerning  God  in  their  life. 
The  precepts  of  religion  christians  have  from  the 
Word,  bat  there  are  few  who  draw  thence  any  pre- 
cepts of  life  :  the  papists  do  not  read  it;  and  the  re- 
formed, who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity,  do  not 
attend  to  the  things  which  concern  life  in  it,  but  only 
to  those  which  concern  faith;  and  still  the  whole 
Word  is  nothing  but  the  doctrine  of  life.  Christianity 
is  only  in  Europe:  Mahometanism  and  heathenism 
are  in  Asia,  the  Indies,  Africa,  and  America ;  and  the 
human  race  in  these  parts  of  the  world  exceeds  by  ten 
times  in  multitude  the  human  race  which  is  in  the 
christian  part  of  the  world  ;  and  in  the  latter  there  are 
few  who  place  religion  in  the  life:  what,  therefore,  is 
more  insane  to  believe,  than  that  the  latter  only  are 
saved,  and  the  former  condemned  7  and  that  man  has 
heaven  from  birth,  and  not  from  life?  wherefore  the 
Lord  says,  "  I  say  unto  you,  that  many  shall  come 
from  the  east  and  the  west,  and  shall  sit  down  with 


THE    DIVINE    PUOVIDENCET.  371 

Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  in  the  kingdom  of  the  hea- 
vens; but  the  sons  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  cast  out :" 
Matt.  viii.  11,  12.  Fourthly:  That  any  of  the  hu- 
man race  are  damned  from  predestination,  is  a  cruel 
heresy.  For  it  is  cruel  to  believe  that  the  Lord,  who 
is  love  itself  and  mercy  itself,  suffers  so  vast  a  multi- 
tude of  men  to  be  born  to  hell,  or  so  many  myriads 
of  myriads  to  be  born  damned  and  cursed,  that  is,  to 
be  born  devils  and  satans  ;  and  that  He  does  not  of 
His  divine  wisdom  provide,  that  they  who  live  well 
and  acknowledge  a  God  should  not  be  cast  into  eter- 
nal fire  and  torment :  the  Lord  is  still  the  creator  and 
savior  of  all,  and  He  alone  leads  all,  and  wills  the 
death  of  no  one  ;  wherefore  it  is  cruel  to  believe  and 
think  that  so  great  a  multitude  of  nations  and  people, 
under  His  auspices  and  regard,  are  delivered  over  as 
a  prey  to  the  devil  out  of  predestination. 


THAT  THE  LORD  CANNOT  ACT  CONTRARY  TO  THE  LAWS  OF 
THE  DIVINE  PRO\n[DENCE,  BECAUSE  TO  ACT  CONTRARY 
TO  THEM  WOULD  BE  TO  ACT  CONTRARY  TO  HIS  DIVINE 
LOVE  AND  CONTRARY  TO  HIS  DIVINE  WISDOM,  THUS 
CONTRARY    TO    HIMSELF. 

331.  In  the  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine 
Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  it  was  shown  that  the  Lord 
is  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wisdom,  and  that  these 
two  are  Being  itself  and  life  itself,  from  which  all  is 
and  lives  :  and  it  was  also  shown,  that  the  like  pro- 
ceeds from  Him,  as  also  that  the  proceeding  Divine  is 
He:  among  the  things  which  proceed,  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence is  the  primary ;  for  this  is  continually  in  the 
end,  for  the  sake  of  which  the  universe  was  created : 
the  operation  and  progress  of  the  end  through  the 
means,  is  what  is  called  the  Divine  Providence.  Now 
because  the  proceeding  Divine  is  He,  and  the  Divine 
Providence  is  the  primary  which  proceeds,  it  follows 
that  to  act  contrary  to  the  laws  of  His  Divine  Provi- 
dence is  to  act  contrary  to  Himself.     It  may  also  be 


372  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

said,  that  the  Lord  is  Providence,  as  it  is  said  that 
God  is  order ;  for  the  Divine  Providence  is  the  divine 
order  primarily  as  regards  the  salvation  of  men  ;  and 
as  order  is  not  given  without  laws,  for  laws  make  it, 
and  every  law  derives  from  order  that  it  is  also  order, 
it  hence  follows,  that  as  God  is  order.  He  is  also  the 
law  of  his  order  :  the  like  is  to  be  said  concerning  the 
Divine  Providence,  that  as  the  Lord  is  His  Providence, 
He  is  also  the  law  of  His  Providence;  hence  it  is 
manifest,  that  the  Lord  cannot  act  contrary  to  the 
laws  of  His  Divine  Providence,  because  to  act  con- 
trary to  them  would  be  to  act  contrary  to  Himself 
Further,  there  is  not  given  any  operation  except  into 
a  subject,  and  into  it  through  means ;  operation  ex- 
cept into  a  subject,  and  into  it  through  means,  is  not 
given:  the  subject  of  the  Divine  Providence  is  man; 
the  means  are,  the  divine  truths  by  which  he  has  wis- 
dom, and  the  divine  goods  by  which  he  has  love; 
through  these  means  the  Divine  Providence  operates 
its  end,  which  is  the  salvation  of  man ;  for  he  who 
wills  the  end,  wills  also  the  means  ;  wherefore  when 
he  that  wills  operates  the  end,  lie  operates  it  through 
means.  But  these  things  will  become  more  evident, 
when  they  are  examined  in  this  order.  L  That  the 
operation  of  the  Divine  Providence  for  saving  man 
commences  from  his  birth,  and  lasts  until  the  end  of 
his  life,  and  afterwards  to  eternity.  2.  That  the 
operation  of  the  Divine  Providence  continually  takes 
plcice  through  means  from  pure  mercy.  3.  That  in- 
stantaneous salvation  from  immediate  mercy  is  not 
possible.  4.  That  instantaneous  salvation  from  im- 
mediate mercy  is  the  flying  serpent  in  the  church. 

332.  I.  That  the  operation  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence for  saving-  man  commences  from  his  birth,  and 
lasts  iDitil  the  end  of  his  life,  and  aftenvards  to  eter- 
nity. It  has  been  shown  above,  that  a  heaven  from 
the  human  race  is  the  very  end  of  the  creation  of  the 
universe;  and  that  the  Divine  Providence  for  saving 
man,  in  its  operation  and  progress,  is  that  end ;  and 
that  all  things  that  are  out  of  man,  and  serve  him  for 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  373 

iise,  are  secondary  ends  of  creation,  which  in  the 
aggregate  have  relation  to  all  things  that  are  in  the 
three  kingdoms,  the  animal,  the  vegetable  and  the 
mineral :  since  the  things  that  are  therein  proceed 
constantly  according  to  the  laws  of  divine  order 
established  at  the  first  creation,  how  then  can  the 
primary  end  of  creation,  which  is  the  salvation  of  the 
human  race,  not  proceed  constantly  according  to  the 
laws  of  its  order,  which  are  the  laws  of  the  Divine 
Providence  ?  Look  only  at  a  fruit-tree :  does  it  not 
at  first  spring  from  a  small  seed,  like  a  slender  germ, 
and  afterwards  grow  by  degrees  into  a  stem,  and  put 
forth  branches,  and  cover  them  with  leaves,  and  then 
shoot  out  flowers,  and  bring  forth  fruit,  and  put  new 
seeds  in  them,  by  which  it  looks  out  for  its  perpetuity? 
the  like  takes  place  with  every  shrub,  and  with  every 
herb  of  the  field  :  does  not  each  and  every  thing  in 
these  proceed  constantly  and  wonderfully  from  end 
to  end  according  to  the  laws  of  its  order?  why  not  in 
like  manner  the  primary  end,  which  is  a  heaven  from 
the  human  race?  can  anything  be  given  in  its 
progress,  which  does  not  proceed  most  constantly  ac- 
. cording  to  the  laws  of  the  Divine  Providence  1  Since 
there  is  a  correspondence  of  the  life  of  man  with  the 
vegetation  of  a  tree,  let  a  parallelism  or  comparison 
be  made :  the  infancy  of  man  is  comparatively  like 
the  tender  germ  of  a  tree  sprouting  out  of  the  earth 
from  the  seed  ;  the  childhood  and  youth  of  man  is  like 
that  germ  growing  into  a  stem  and  small  branches ; 
the  natural  truths,  with  which  every  man  is  first  im- 
bued, are  like  the  leaves  with  which  the  branches  are 
covered;  leaves  signify  nothing  else  in  the  AVord  ; 
the  initiaments  of  man  into  the  marriage  of  good  and 
truth,  or  the  spiritual  marriage,  are  like  the  flowers 
which  that  tree  produces  in  time  of  spring;  spiritual 
truths  are  the  leaflets  of  those  flowers ;  the  earliest 
things  of  the  spiritual  marriage  are  like  the  com- 
nie'icements  of  fruit:  spiritual  goods,  which  are  the 
go  )ds  of  charity,  are  like  the  fruit ;  they  are  also  signi- 
fie>'  by  fruits  in  the  Word  ;   the  procreations  o£  wisdom 


374  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

from  love  are  like  seeds,  by  which  procreations  man 
becomes  like  a  garden  and  paradise :  man  is  also 
described  in  the  Word  by  a  tree,  and  his  wisdom  from 
love  by  a  garden ;  by  the  garden  of  Eden  nothing 
else  is  signified.  Man  is  indeed  a  bad  tree  from  the 
seed;  but  still  there  is  given  grafting  or  inocnlation 
from  shoots  taken  from  the  tree  of  life,  by  which  the 
sap  extracted  from  the  old  root  is  turned  into  sap 
making  good  fruits.  This  comparison  is  made,  that 
it  may  be  known,  that  when  there  is  so  constant  a 
progression  of  the  Divine  Providence  in  the  vegetation 
and  regeneration  of  trees,  it  will  by  all  means  be  con- 
stant in  the  reformation  and  regeneration  of  men,  who 
are  much  more  valuable  than  trees,  according  to  these 
Avords  of  the  Lord:  "Are  not  five  sparrows  sold  for 
two  farthings?  yet  one  of  them  is  not  forgotten  be- 
fore God  :  but  now  also  the  hairs  of  your  head  are  all 
numbered  ;  therefore  fear  ye  not,  ye  are  much  better 
than  the  sparrows.  Moreover,  who  of  you  by  being 
anxious  can  add  to  his  stature  one  cubit  ?  if  then  ye 
cannot  do  that  which  is  least,  why  are  ye  anxious  for 
the  rest  7  attend  to  the  lilies,  how  they  grow  :  there- 
fore if  God  so  clothe  the  grass  in  the  field,  which  to- 
day is,  but  to-morrow  is  cast  into  the  oven,  how  much 
more  you,  O  men  of  little  faith :"  Luke  xii.  6,  7,  25, 
26,  27,  28. 

333.  It  is  said  that  the  operation  of  the  Divine 
Providence  for  saving  man  commences  from  his  birth 
and  lasts  unto  the  end  of  his  life :  that  this  may  be 
understood,  it  is  to  be  knowu,  that  the  Lord  sees  what 
man  is,  and  foresees  what  he  wills  to  be,  thus  what 
he  is  to  be  ;  and  the  freedom  of  his  will  cannot  be 
taken  away,  that  he  may  be  man  and  thence  im- 
mortal, as  has  been  before  shown  in  many  places  j 
wherefore  the  Lord  foresees  his  state  after  death,  and 
provides  for  it  from  his  birth  even  to  the  end  of  his 
life  :  with  the  evil  he  provides,  by  permitting  and 
continually  withdrawing  from  evils;  but  Avith  the 
good  he  provides,  by  leading  to  good ;  thus  the  Divine 
Providence  is  continually  in  the  operation  of  saving 


THE    DIVINE    PKOAaDENCE.  375 

man ;  but  there  cannot  more  be  saved  than  are  wiUing 
to  be  saved,  and  they  are  willing  to  be  saved  who 
acknowledge  God,  and  are  led  by  Him  ;  and  they 
are  not  willing  who  do  not  acknowledge  God,  and 
lead  themselves  ;  for  the  latter  do  not  think  concern- 
ing eternal  life  and  concerning  salvation,  but  the 
former  do  :  this  the  Lord  sees,  and  still  leads  them  ; 
and  leads  according  to  the  laws  of  His  Divine  Provi- 
dence, contrary  to  which  He  cannot  act ;  since  to  act 
contrary  to  them  would  he  to  act  contrary  to  His 
divine  love,  and  contrary  to  His  divine  wisdom,  that 
is,  contrary  to  Himself  Now  because  He  foresees  the 
state  of  all  after  death,  and  also  foresees  the  places  of 
those  in  hell  who  are  not  willing  to  be  saved,  and  the 
places  of  those  in  heaven  who  are  willing  to  be  saved, 
it  follows,  as  was  said,  that  He  provides  for  the  evil 
their  places  by  permitting  and  withdrawing,  and  for 
the  good  their  places  by  leading  ;  and  unless  this  was 
done  continually  from  the  birth  of  every  one  to  the  end 
of  his  life,  heaven  would  not  subsist,  nor  hell ;  for, 
without  that  foresight  and  at  the  same  time  provi- 
dence, there  would  not  be  a  heaven  nor  a  hell,  except 
a  certain  confused  thing  :  that  his  place  is  provided 
for  every  one  by  the  Lord  from  foresight,  may  be 
seen  above,  n.  202,  203.  This  may  be  illustrated 
by  this  comparison  :  if  a  shooter  or  marksman 
should  aim  at  a  mark,  and  from  the  mark  behind 
it  there  were  drawn  a  straight  line  to  the  distance  of 
a  mile,  if  in  the  aim  he  should  err  only  a  nail,  the 
weapon  or  ball  at  the  end  of  the  mile  would  diverge 
immensely  from  the  line  drawn  behind  the  mark;  thus 
it  would  be,  unless  the  Lord,  at  every  moment,  yea, 
the  most  minute,  should  regard  eternity  in  foreseeing 
and  providing  every  one's  place  after  death  :  but  this 
is  done  by  the  Lord,  because  all  the  future  is  present 
to  Him,  and  all  the  present  is  eternal  to  Him.  That 
the  Divine  Providence  regards  the  infinite  and  eternal 
in  all  that  it  does,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  46  to  69, 
214  and  following  numbers. 

334.    It  is  also  said  that  the  operation  of  the  Divine 


376  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

Providence  lasts  to  eternity,  since  every  angel  is  per- 
fected in  wisdom  to  eternity  ;  but  each  one  according 
to  the  degree  of  the  alfection  of  good  and  truth,  in 
which  he  was  when  he  went  out  of  the  world  :  it  is 
this  degree  which  is  perfected  to  eternity  ;  what  is 
beyond  this  degree,  is  without  the  angel,  and  not 
within  him;  and  that  which  is  without  him,  cannot 
be  perfected  within  him.  This  is  understood  by  the 
good  measure,  pressed  down,  shaken  together,  and 
running  over,  which  shall  be  given  into  the  bosom  of 
those  who  remit  and  give  to  others;  Luke  vi.  37,  38; 
that  is,  who  are  in  the  good  of  charity. 

335.  II.  Tliat  the  operation  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence conti)niaUy  takes  place  throvgh  means  from  pure 
'mercy.  There  are  means  and  modes  of  the  Divine 
Providence ;  it  is  the  means,  from  which  man  be- 
comes man,  and  is  perfected  as  to  understanding  and 
as  to  will ;  it  is  the  modes,  by  which  those  things  are 
done.  The  means  from  which  man  becomes  man, 
and  is  perfected  as  to  understanding,  are  called  by 
the  general  word  truths,  v/hich  become  ideas  in  the 
thought,  and  are  called  things  in  the  memory,  and  in 
themselves  are  knowledges,  from  which  are  sciences. 
All  these  means  in  themselves  considered  are  spirit- 
ual; but  because  they  are  in  natural  things,  they 
appear  from  their  clothing  or  dress  as  natural,  and 
some  as  material.  These  means  are  infinite  in  num- 
ber, and  are  infinite  in  variety  :  they  are  more  or  less 
simple  and  compound,  and  more  or  less  imperfect  and 
perfect.  There  are  means  for  forming  and  perfecting 
natural  civil  life;  also  for  forming  and  perfecting 
rational  moral  life;  as  also  for  forming  and  perfecting 
heavenly  spiritual  life,  '^l^'hese  means  succeed,  one 
kind  after  another,  from  infancy  even  to  the  last  age  of 
man,  and  after  that  to  eternity  :  and  as  they  succeed 
by  increasing,  so  the  prior  ones  become  the  means  of 
the  posterior  :  for  they  enter  into  every  formation  as 
middle  causes;  for  from  these  every  efTect  or  every 
conclusion  is  efficient,  and  thence  becomes  a  cause ; 
thus  the  posterior  ones  successively  become  means: 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  377 

and  because  this  is  done  to  eternity,  there  is  not  given 
a  postreme  or  iihimate,  which  closes ;  for  as  eternity- 
is  without  end,  so  wisdom  which  increases  to  eternity 
is  without  end :  if  there  were  an  end  of  wisdom  with 
the  wise,  the  dehght  of  his  wisdom,  which  consists  in 
the  perpetual  multiplication  and  fructification  of  it, 
and  thus  the  delight  of  his  life,  would  perish,  and  in 
place  of  it  would  succeed  the  delight  of  glory,  in 
which  when  alone  there  is  not  heavenly  life  :  that  wise 
man  then  becomes  no  longer  as  a  young  man,  but  as 
an  old  man,  and  at  length  as  one  decrepit.  Although 
the  wisdom  of  the  wise  increases  in  heaven  to  eter- 
nity, still,  however,  there  is  not  given  such  an  approx- 
imation of  angelic  wisdom  to  the  divine  wisdom,  that 
it  can  touch  it ;  it  is  comparatively  as  is  said  con- 
cerning the  straight  line  drawn  about  the  hyperbola, 
continually  approximating  and  never  touching ;  and 
as  is  said  concerning  squaring  the  circle.  From  these 
things  it  may  be  evident,  what  is  understood  by  the 
means,  through  which  the  Divine  Providence  operates 
that  man  may  be  man,  and  that  he  may  be  perfected 
as  to  the  understanding,  and  that  these  means  are 
called  by  the  general  word  truths.  Just  as  many  also 
are  the  means  through  which  man  is  formed  and  per- 
fected as  to  the  will ;  but  these  are  called  by  the  gene- 
ral word  goods  ;  from  the  latter  man  has  love,  but  from 
the  former  man  has  wisdom:  the  conjunction  of  them 
makes  man;  for  as  that  is,  snch  is  man:  this  conjunc- 
tion is  what  is  called  the  marriage  of  good  and  truth. 
336.  But  the  modes  by  which  the  Divine  Providence 
operates  into  the  means,  and  through  the  means,  for 
forming  man,  and  for  perfecting  him,  are  also  infinite 
in  number  and  infinite  in  variety:  just  as  many  as 
are  the  operations  of  the  Divine  Wisdom  from  the 
Divine  Love  for  saving  man  ;  thus  as  many  as  are 
the  operations  of  the  Divine  Providence  according  to 
its  laws,  which  were  treated  of  above.  That  these 
modes  are  most  secret,  was  illustrated  above  by  the 
operations  of  the  soul  into  the  body,  concerning  which 
man  knows  so  little,  that  it  is  scarcely  anything ;  as 
32* 


378  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

how  the  eye,  the  ear,  tlie  nose,  the  tongue,  the  skin, 
feel ;  and  how  tlie  stomach  digests,  the  mesentery- 
makes  the  chyle,  the  liver  elaborates  the  blood,  the 
pancreas  and  spleen  purify  it,  the  kidneys  secrete  it 
from  impure  humors,  the  heart  collects  and  distributes 
it,  the  lungs  clarify  it;  and  how  the  brain  sublimates 
the  blood,  and  vivifies  it  anew;  besides  innumerable 
other  things,  all  of  which  are  arcana,  into  which 
scarcely  any  science  can  enter.  From  these  things 
it  is  manifest  that  the  secret  operations  of  the  Divine 
Providence  can  still  less  be  entered  into  :  it  is  enough 
that  its  laws  are  known. 

337.  That  the  Divine  Providence  operates  all 
things  from  pure  mercy,  is  because  the  divine  essence 
itself  is  pure  love,  and  it  is  this  which  operates  through 
the  divine  wisdom ;  and  this  operation  is  what  is  called 
the  Divine  Providence.  That  that  pure  love  is  pure 
mercy,  is,  1.  Because  it  operates  with  all  that  are 
in  the  universal  habitable  world,  who  are  such  that 
they  can  do  nothing  from  themselves.  2.  That  it 
operates  with  the  evil  and  unjust  equally  as  with 
the  good  and  just.  3.  That  it  leads  the  former  in 
hell,  and  snatches  them  out  thence.  4.  That  it  per- 
petually strives  there  with  them,  and  fights  against 
the  devil  for  them,  that  is,  against  the  evils  of  hell. 
5.  That  on  this  account  it  came  into  the  world,  and 
underwent  temptations  even  to  the  last  of  them, 
which  was  the  passion  of  the  cross.  6.  That  it  acts 
continually  with  the  unclean  that  it  may  render  them 
clean,  and  with  the  insane  that  it  may  render  them 
sane:  thus  it  labors  continually  from  pure  mercy. 

338.  III.  That  instaalnneous  salvation  from  bnme- 
diate  mercy  is  not  possible.  It  is  shown  in  the  forego- 
ing numbers  that  the  operation  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence for  saving  man  coamiences  from  his  birth,  and 
lasts  even  to  the  end  of  his  life,  and  afterwards  to 
eternity;  also  that  that  operation  is  continually  effect- 
ed through  means  from  pure  mercy  :  from  these  it  fol- 
lows, that  neither  instantaneous  salvation,  nor  imme- 
diate mercy,  is  given.     But  because  many,  who  think 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  379 

nothing  concerning  matters  of  the  chnrch  or  of  rehgion 
from  the  understanding,  beUeve  that  they  are  saved  by 
immediate  mercy,  and  hence  that  salvation  is  instanta- 
neous, and  yet  this  is  contrary  to  the  truth,  and  more- 
over is  a  hurtful  beHef,  it  is  important  that  it  should  be 
examined  in  tliis  order.     1.   That  the  beHef  concerning 
instantaneous    salvation    from    immediate    mercy    is 
taken  from  the  state  of  tlie  natural  man.     2.  That  this 
belief  is   from  ignorance  of  the  spiritual  state,  which 
is  altogether  diflerent  from  the  natural  state.     3.  That 
the   doctrines   of  all    the   churches    in    the    christian 
world,  viewed    interiorly,   are  against   instantaneous 
salvation  from  immediate  mercy  ;   but  that  still   the 
external  men  of  the  church  establish  it.     First:  That 
the  belief  concerning  instantaneous  salvation  from  im- 
mediate mercy  is  taken  from  the  state  of  the  natural 
man.     The  natural  man  from  his  state  knows  no  oth- 
erwise than  that  heavenly  joy  is  like  worldly  joy,  and 
that  it  flows  in  and   is  received  in  like  manner :  for 
example,  that  it  is  as  if  he  who  is  poor  becomes  rich, 
and  thus  comes  out  of  a  sad  state  of  poverty  into  a 
happy  state   of  opulence;    or   as  if  he   who    is  low 
becomes  honored,  and  thus  comes  from  contempt  into 
glory;  or  like  him  who  from  a  house  of  grief  comes 
into  the  joy  of  a  wedding  :  because  these  states  can 
be  changed  witliin  a  day,  and   there  is  no  other  idea 
concerning  the  state  of  man  after  death,  it  is  manifest 
whence  it  is,  that  instantaneous  salvation  from  imme- 
diate mercy  is  believed.     In  the  world  also  there  can 
be  many  in  one  fellowship,  or  in  one  civil   society, 
and  rejoice  together,  and  yet  all  differ  in  minds  ;  this 
happens  in  a  natural  state  ;   the  reason  is,  because  the 
external  of  one  man  may  be  accommodated   to  the 
external  of  another,  however  dissimilar  the  internals 
are  :   from  this  natural  state  it  is  also  concluded,  that 
salvation  is  only  admission   into  heaven   among  the 
angels,  and  that  admission  is  from  immediate  mercy  : 
wherefore  it  is  also  believed,  that  heaven  can  be  given 
to  the  evil  equally  as  to  the  good,  and  that  consocia- 
tion is  then  like  what  it  is  in  the  world,  with  the  dif- 


380  ANGELIC    AVISDOM    CONCERNING 

ference  that  it  is  full  of  joy.  Secondly  :  But  that  this 
haUef  is  from  ifrnorance  of  the  spiriiaal  state,  which  is 
altogether  different  from  the  natural  state.  The  spirit- 
ual state,  which  is  the  state  of  man  after  death,  has 
been  treated  of  in  many  places  above ;  and  it  has 
been  shown,  that  every  one  is  his  love  ;  and  that  no 
one  can  live  with  any  others  but  with  those  who 
are  in  like  love ;  and  that  if  he  comes  among  others, 
he  cannot  breathe  his  life  ;  hence  it  is,  that  every 
one  after  death  comes  into  the  society  of  his  own, 
who  are  those  that  are  in  like  love,  and  that  he  knows 
these  as  relations  and  as  friends  ;  and  what  is  won- 
derful, when  he  meets  and  sees  them,  it  is  as  if  he  had 
known  them  from  infancy  ;  it  is  spiritual  relationship 
and  friendship,  which  causes  this  :  yea,  more  ;  no  one 
in  a  society  can  dwell  in  any  other  house  but  his  ; 
every  one  in  a  society  has  his  house,  which  he  finds 
ready  for  him,  as  soon  as  he  enters  the  society  ;  he 
can  be  in  intercourse  with  others  out  of  his  house,  but 
still  not  tarry  elsewhere  than  in  his  :  and  what  is  still 
more,  no  one  can  sit  in  another's  apartment,  except  in 
his  own  place  ;  if  in  another,  he  becomes  as  out  of 
his  mind  and  dumb ;  and  what  is  wonderful,  every 
one,  when  he  enters  the  apartment,  knows  his  place  : 
the  like  takes  place  in  the  temples,  and  also  when  they 
are  congregated  in  assemblies.  From  these  things  it  is 
manifest  that  the  spiritual  state  is  altogether  different 
from  the  natural  state,  and  such  that  no  one  can  be 
elsewhere  than  where  his  reigning  love  is  ;  for  there  is 
the  delight  of  his  life,  and  every  one  wishes  to  be  in 
the  delight  of  his  life;  and  the  spirit  of  man  cannot 
be  elsewhere,  because  that  makes  his  life,  yea,  his 
very  respiration,  as  also  the  pulse  of  his  heart :  it  is 
otherwise  in  the  world  ;  in  this  the  external  of  man  has 
been  taught  from  infancy  to  feign  other  deUghts  in  the 
face,  speech  and  gesture,  than  those  which  are  of  his 
internal ;  wherefore  from  the  state  of  man  in  the  natu- 
ral world  it  cannot  be  concluded  as  to  his  state  after 
death  ;  for  the  state  of  every  one  after  death  is  spirit- 
ual ;  which  is,  that  he  cannot  be  elsewhere  than  in  the 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  381 

delight  of  his  love,  which  he  procured  to  himself  by 
the  life  in  the  natural  world.  From  these  things  it 
may  be  manifestly  evident,  that  ho  one  can  be  admit- 
ted into  the  delight  of  heaven,  which  in  common 
speech  is  called  heavenly  joy,  who  is  in  the  delight  of 
hell ;  or,  what  -is  the  same,  into  the  delight  of  good, 
who  is  in  the  delight  of  evil ;  which  may  be  con- 
cluded still  more  clearly  from  this,  that  it  is  denied  to 
no  one  after  death  to  ascend  into  heaven  ;  the  way  is 
pointed  out  to  him,  leave  is  given,  and  he  is  admitted 
in  ;  but  when  he  comes  into  heaven,  and  draws  in  its 
delight  by  breathing,  he  begins  to  be  pained  in  the 
breast,  and  tortured  in  heart,  and  to  feel  a  swooning, 
in  which  he  writhes  himself  like  a  snake  brought 
to  the  fire ;  and  with  the  face  turned  away  from 
heaven  and  turned  towards  hell,  he  flees  away  head- 
long ;  nor  does  he  rest  until  in  the  society  of  his  love  : 
it  may  hence  be  evident,  that  to  come  into  heaven 
falls  to  no  one  from  immediate  mercy,  and  therefore 
that  it  is  not  merely  to  be  admitted,  as  many  in  the 
world  imagine  ;  also  that  neither  is  there  instantane- 
ous salvation,  for  this  supposes  immediate  mercy. 
There  were  some  who  in  the  world  believed  in  in- 
stantaneous salvation  from  immediate  mercy,  and 
when  they  had  become  spirits,  they  wished  that  their 
infernal  delight  or  delight  of  evil  might,  from  the 
divine  omnipotence  and  at  the  same  time  from  the 
divine  mercy,  be  changed  into  heavenly  delight  or  the 
delight  of  good  ;  and  because  they  so  desired,  it  was 
also  permitted  that  it  should  be  done  by  the  angels, 
who  then  removed  their  infernal  delight ;  but  then, 
because  that  was  the  delight  of  their  life,  and  there- 
fore their  life,  they  lay  as  dead,  without  all  sense 
and  all  motion;  nor  was  it  possible  to  breathe  into 
them  any  other  life  than  theirs,  because  all  things  of 
their  mind  and  body,  which  were  turned  backwards, 
could  not  be  twisted  back  into  the  contrary  ;  where- 
fore they  were  resuscitated,  by  letting  in  the  delight 
of  their  life's  love  ;  after  this  they  said  that  in  that 
state  they  felt  interiorly  something  direful  and  dread- 


382  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

fill,  which  Ihey  were  not  willing  to  make  public  : 
wherefore  it  is  said  in  heaven,  that  it  is  easier  to  con- 
vert an  owl  into  a  (nrtle-dove,  and  a  serpent  into  a 
lamb,  than  any  infernal  spirit  into  an  angel  of  heaven. 
Thirdly  :  TJkU  the  doctrines  of  tlie  churches  in  the 
christian  iDorld,  vieived  interiorly,  are  against  instanta- 
neous salvation  from  immediate  tnercy  ;  but  still  that 
the  external  men  of  the  church  establish  it.  The  doc- 
trines of  all  churches,  viewed  interiorly,  teach  life  ; 
of  what  church  is  there  the  doctrine,  which  does  not 
teach  that  man  is  to  explore  himself,  see  and  acknow- 
ledge his  sins,  confess  them,  repent,  and  then  live  a 
new  life  7  who  is  admitted  to  the  Holy  Communion 
without  this  monition  and  precept  7  inquire,  and  you 
will  confirm  it.  Of  what  church  is  there  the  doc- 
trine, which  is  not  founded  upon  the  precepts  of  the 
decalogue  7  and  the  precepts  of  the  decalogue  are  pre- 
cepts of  life.  What  man  of  the  church  is  there,  in 
whom  there  is  anything  of  the  church,  who  does  not 
acknowledge,  when  he  hears  it,  that  he  is  saved  who 
lives  well,  and  he  is  condemned  who  lives  ill 7  where- 
fore in  the  Athanasian  creed,  which  is  also  the  doc- 
trine received  in  the  whole  christian  world,  these 
things  are  said,  "  That  the  Lord  is  to  come  to  judge 
the  living  and  the  dead,  and  then  they  who  have  done 
good  things  shall  enter  into  eternal  life,  and  they  who 
have  done  evil  things,  into  eternal  fire."  From  which 
it  is  manifest,  that  tlie  doctrines  of  all  the  churches, 
viewed  interiorly,  teach  life;  and  because  they  teach 
life,  they  teach  that  salvation  is  according  to  the  life  ; 
and  the  life  of  man  is  not  inspired  in  a  moment,  but 
is  formed  successively,  and  reformed  as  man  shuns 
evils  as  sins  ;  therefore  as  he  knows  what  sin  is,  and 
becomes  acquainted  with  and  acknowledges  it,  and  as 
lie  does  not  will  it,  and  hence  desists  from  it;  and 
also  as  he  knows  those  means  wliich  have  relation  to 
a  knowledge  of  God  :  by  the  latter  and  the  former  is 
the  life  of  man  formed  and  reformed,  and  they  cannot 
be  infused  in  one  moment ;  for  hereditary  evil  must 
be  removed,  which  in  itself  is  infernal ;  and  good  must 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  383 

be  implanted  in  its  place,  which  in  itself  must  be 
heavenly  :  man,  from  his  hereditary  evil,  may  be  com- 
pared to  an  owl  as  to  the  understanding,  and  to  a  ser- 
pent as  to  the  will  ;  and  man  reformed  may  be  com- 
pared to  a  dove  as  to  the  understanding,  and  to  a  sheep 
as  to  the  will ;  wherefore  instantaneous  reformation 
and  hence  salvation  would  be  comparatively  like  the 
instantaneous  conversion  of  an  owl  into  a  dove,  and 
of  a  serpent  into  a  sheep:  who,  that  knows  anything 
concerning  the  life  of  man,  does  not  see  that  this  is  not 
given,  unless  the  nature  of  the  owl  and  the  serpent  is 
taken  away,  and  the  nature  of  the  dove  and  the  sheep 
is  implanted  '?  It  is  also  known,  that  every  intelligent 
person  may  become  more  intelligent,  and  every  wise 
one  more  wise ;  and  that  intelligence  and  wisdom  may 
increase  with  man,  and  does  increase  with  some,  from 
infancy  even  to  the  end  of  his  life  ;  and  that  man  is 
thus  continually  perfected  :  why  not  spiritual  intelli- 
gence and  wisdom  still  more  ?  this  ascends  by  two 
degrees  above  natural  intelligence  and  wisdom,  and 
when  it  ascends,  it  becomes  angelic,  which  is  ineffa- 
ble ;  that  this  increases  with  the  angels  to  eternity, 
was  said  above  :  who  cannot  comprehend,  if  he  will, 
that  it  is  impossible  that  that  which  is  perfected  to 
eternity,  is  perfected  in  an  instant? 

339.  From  these  things  it  is  now  manifest,  that  all 
who  think  from  life  concerning  salvation,  do  not  think 
of  any  instantaneous  salvation  from  immediate  mercy, 
but  of  the  means  of  salvation,  into  which  and  through 
which  the  Lord  operates  according  to  the  laws  of  His 
Divine  Providence,  thus  througli  which  man  is  led  by 
the  Lord  from  pure  mercy.  But  they  who  do  not 
think  from  life  concerning  salvation,  suppose  some- 
thing instantaneous  in  salvation,  and  something  imme- 
diate in  mercy,  as  those  do  who  separate  faith  from 
charity  ;  charity  is  life,  and  they  suppose  an  instanta- 
neous [act]  of  faith,  and  if  not  before,  about  the  last 
hour  of  death  :  and  those  also  do  this,  who  believe 
the  remission  of  sins  without  repentance  to  be  absolu- 
tion from  sins  and   thus  salvation,  and  go  to  the  Holy 


384  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

Supper  :  also  they  who  trust  in  the  indulgences  of 
monks;  and  in  their  prayers  for  the  dead  ;  and  in  dis- 
pensations, from  power  claimed  to  themselves  over  the 
souls  of  men. 

340.  IV.  That  instantaneous  salvation  fro'}n  imme- 
diate mercy  is  the  flying  serpent  in  the  church  :  by  a 
flying  serpent  is  understood  evil  shining  from  infernal 
fire,  the  like  as  by  the  flying  serpent  in  Isaiah: 
"  Rejoice  not,  whole  Philistea,  that  the  rod  that  smote 
thee  is  broken  ;  for  out  of  the  root  of  the  serpent  shall 
go  forth  a  basilisk,  whose  fruit  is  a  flying  serpent;" 
xiv.  29.  Such  an  evil  flies  in  the  church,  when  in- 
stantaneous salvation  from  immediate  mercy  is  be- 
lieved in;  for  thereby,  1,  Religion  is  abolished,  2, 
Security  is  induced,  3,  And  damnation  is  imputed  to 
the  Lord.  As  regards  the  First  :  That  thereby  reli- 
gion is  abolished:  there  are  two  essentials,  and  at  the 
same  time  imiverstils,  of  religion  ;  the  acknowledg- 
ment of  God,  and  repentance;  these  two  are  useless 
to  those  who  believe  that  they  are  saved  from  mercy 
alone,  however  they  live;  for  what  need  is  there  of 
more  than  to  say,  Pity  me,  O  God?  concerning  all 
the  rest  of  the  things  which  are  of  religion,  they  are 
in  thick  darkness,  yea,  love  thick  darkness :  concern- 
ing the  first  essential  of  the  church,  which  is  the 
acknowledgment  of  God,  they  think  nothing  else 
than  What  is  God]  who  has  seen  Him  7  if  it  is  said 
that  He  is,  and  that  He  is  one,  they  say  that  He  is 
one ;  if  it  is  said  that  there  are  three,  they  also  say 
that  there  are,  but  that  the  three  are  to  be  named 
One  :  this  is  the  acknowledgment  of  God  with  them. 
Concerning  the  other  essential  of  the  church,  which  is 
repentance,  they  think  nothing,  consequently  neither 
do  they  concerning  any  sin,  and  at  length  they  do  not 
know  that  there  is  any  sin  ;  and  then  they  hear  and 
draw  in  with  pleasure,  that  the  law  does  not  damn, 
because  a  christian  is  not  under  its  yoke;  if  you  only 
say.  Pity  me,  O  God,  for  the  Son's  sake,  and  you  will 
be  saved  :  this  is  repentance  of  life  with  them.  But 
remove  repentance,  or,  what  is  the  same,  separate  life 


THE    DIVINE    PROVIDENCE.  385 

from  religion,  what  remains  but  the  words,  Pity  me  1 
Hence  it  is,  that  tliey  have  been  able  to  say  nothing 
else,  than  that  salvation  is  instantaneous  through  these 
words  ;  and  if  not  before,  still  near  the  hour  of  death  : 
what  then  is  the  Word  to  them,  but  an  obscure  and 
enigmatical  voice  sent  forth  from  a  tripod  in  a  cave  ? 
or  like  an  answer  not  understood  from  the  oracle  of  an 
idol  7  In  a  word,  if  you  remove  repentance,  that  is, 
separate  life  from  religion,  what  else  is  man  then,  but 
evil  shining  from  infernal  fire,  or  a  flying  serpent  in 
the  church  ?  for  without  repentance  man  is  in  evil,  and 
evil  is  hell.  Secondly  :  Thai  by  the  belief  in  instan- 
taneous salvation  from  pure  and  mere  mercy  security 
of  life  is  induced.  Security  of  life  arises  either  from 
the  belief  of  the  impious  that  there  is  not  a  life  after 
death,  or  from  the  belief  of  him  who  separates  life 
from  salvation ;  the  latter,  although  he  believes  in  an 
eternal  life,  still  thinks,  I  can  be  saved,  whether  I  live 
well,  or  whether  I  live  ill,  since  salvation  is  pure 
mercy,  and  the  mercy  of  God  is  universal,  because  He 
does  not  will  the  death  of  any  one  ;  and  if  by  chance 
the  thought  falls  in,  that  mercy  must  be  implored  by 
the  words  of  the  received  faith,  he  may  think  that  this 
can  be  done,  if  not  sooner,  just  before  death  :  every 
man  who  is  in  this  security,  makes  nothing  of  adul- 
teries, defraudings,  injustices,  violences,  blasphemies, 
revenges  ;  but  lets  loose  his  flesh  and  his  spirit  to  them 
all ;  nor  does  he  know  Avhat  spiritual  evil  and  its  con- 
cupiscences are  :  if  he  hears  anything  concerning  this 
from  the  Word,  it  is  comparatively  like  that  which 
falls  upon  ebony  and  bounds  back,  or  like  that  which 
falls  into  a  ditch  and  is  absorbed.  Thirdly  :  That  by 
that  belief  damnation  is  imputed  to  the  Lord.  Who 
cannot  conclude  that  not  man,  but  the  Lord,  is  in 
fault,  if  he  is  not  saved,  when  He  can  save  every  one 
from  pure  mercy?  if  it  is  said  that  faith  is  the  means 
of  salvation,  but  what  man  is  there  to  whom  that 
faith  cannot  be  given?  for  it  is  only  a  thought,  which- 
can  be  infused  in  every  state  of  the  spirit  abstracted 
from  worldly  things,  even  with  trust ;  and  he  can  also 
33 


386  ANGELIC    WISDOM    CONCERNING 

say,  I  cannot  take  it  of  myself :  if  therefore  it  is  not 
given,  and  man  is  damned,  what  else  can  the  damned 
one  think,  but  that  the  Lord  is  in  fault,  who  could  and 
would  not?  would  not  that  be  to  call  Him  unmerci- 
ful ;  and  moreover,  in  the  heat  of  his  belief  he  can 
say.  Why  can  he  see  so  many  damned  in  hell,  when 
yet  He  can  save  all  from  pure  mercy  in  a  moment? 
and  more  like  things  which  cannot  be  called  anything 
but  wicked  accusations  against  God.  From  these 
things  it  may  now  be  evident,  that  the  belief  in  instan- 
taneous salvation  from  pure  mercy  is  the  flying  ser- 
pent in  the  church. 


Excuse  it  that  these  things  are  added,  that  the  su- 
perfluous paper  may  be  filled  up.  Some  spirits  as- 
cended by  permission  from  hell,  and  said  to  me.  You 
have  written  many  things  from  the  Lord,  write  also 
something  from  us.  I  answered,  What  shall  I  write  7 
they  said.  Write,  that  every  spirit,  whether  he  be  good 
or  evil,  is  in  his  delight ;  the  good  in  the  delight  of  his 
good,  and  the  evil  in  the  delight  of  his  evil.  I  asked, 
What  is  your  delight  ?  they  said  that  it  was  the  delight 
of  committing  adultery,  of  stealing,  of  defrauding,  of 
lying :  and  I  asked  again,  Of  what  quality  are  these 
delights?  they  said  that  they  were  felt  by  them  as 
stinks  from  dung,  and  as  stenches  from  carcasses,  and 
as  bad  smells  from  stagnant  urine.  I  said.  Are  these 
delightful  to  you?  they  said  that  they  were  most  de- 
lightful. I  said.  Then  ye  are  like  the  unclean  beasts, 
which  pass  their  time  in  such  things:  they  answered. 
If  we  are,  we  are  ;  but  such  things  are  the  delicacies 
of  our  nostrils.  I  asked,  What  more  shall  I  write 
from  you  ?  they  said,  This,  that  it  is  allowed  to  every 
t)ne  to  be  in  his  delight,  even  the  most  unclean,  as  they 
call  it,  provided  he  does  not  infest  good  spirits  and 
angels  ;  but  because  we  cannot  do  otherwise  than  in- 


THE   DIVINE    PROVIDENCE,  387 

fest  them,  we  are  driven  away,  and  cast  down  into 
hell,  where  we  suffer  direful  things.  I  said,  Why  did 
you  infest  the  good  ?  they  answered  that  they  could 
not  do  otherwise  :  it  is  as  if  fury  invades,  when  they 
see  any  angel,  and  feel  the  divine  sphere  around  him. 
I  then  said.  Thus  ye  are  even  like  wild  beasts :  at 
hearing  which  the  fury  came  on,  which  appeared  like 
the  fire  of  hatred ;  and  lest  they  should  bring  harm, 
they  were  drawn  back  into  hell.  Concerning  delights 
felt  as  odors  and  as  bad  smells  in  the  spiritual  world, 
see  above,  n,  303,  304,  305,  324. 


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